Can we EVER Trust the News Again? Informed.now Founder Explains How | Kira Shishkin

Is your news informing you, or is it just making you angry? Today on Eyes Wide Open, we're joined by Kira Shishkin, the founder of Informed.now, the premier unbiased news by text service.    In this episode, Kira and Nick\ pull back the curtain on a compromised media ecosystem fueled by sensationalism, bias, and profit motives. We explore the radical intentionality required to navigate a landscape where news and commentary have become dangerously blurred and why factual reporting is a necessity for a free society.   We dive into how clickbait headlines and social media algorithms are actively dividing families and hollowing out our communities. Kira shares his mission to restore trust through a minimalist, primary-source approach that prioritizes media independence over advertiser dollars.   We discuss the Orwellian influence of misinformation, the role of AI in creating false equivalencies, and practical strategies like "bucketing" your news to avoid mental burnout.    Whether you're exhausted by the 24-hour news cycle or seeking a way to form your own opinions without corporate interference, this conversation provides a roadmap for returning to a culture of transparency, critical thinking, and clarity.   🔥In this episode, you will learn:   ✅ The News vs. Commentary Blur: Why the blending of facts and opinion is the #1 reason for the erosion of public trust and how to spot the difference.   ✅ Profit-Driven Sensationalism: Understanding how advertiser dependence forces media outlets to prioritize outrage and clicks over accuracy.   ✅ The Primary Source Solution: How sourcing stories directly from credible entities eliminates the "middleman" bias and restores factual reporting.   ✅ AI & Misinformation: The hidden dangers of AI-generated content and how it complicates our ability to discern truth from propaganda.   ✅ Breaking the Echo Chamber: Practical "news bucketing" strategies to manage information overload and protect your mental clarity.   About Our Guest   Kira Shishkin is a media entrepreneur and the founder of Informed.now, a platform dedicated to providing minimalist, fact-based news. With a background in tech startup consulting and a passion for investigative clarity, Kira is a leading voice in the movement for independent media. Through Informed.now, he pushes for a reader-supported model that removes corporate influence and empowers individuals to think for themselves.   Our Mission   Eyes Wide Open is a space for honest communication. Our goal is to remove the stigmas around mental health, holistic lifestyles, culture, and free speech so you can show up as your authentic self with your eyes wide open. By having real conversations about difficult truths, we move toward collective healing.   Chapters 00:00 - Welcome: The crisis in modern media 06:00 - The evolution of media bias and the loss of objectivity 08:12 - Clickbait and profit incentives: How your attention is sold 11:18 - Social media algorithms: The architects of the echo chamber 16:20 - How biased media divides families and the social fabric 19:01 - Informed.now: A mission for ad-free, fact-based news 22:19 - The sourcing process: Using primary sources for truth 33:04 - AI and Misinformation: The new frontier of control 47:04 - The Minimalist Philosophy: Why less is more in reporting 52:14 - Final reflections: The pursuit of truth and mental clarity Find Kira Shishkin & Informed.now here:    Website: https://informed.now/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kira.shishkin/ | https://www.instagram.com/informed.now/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kirashishkin/ | https://www.linkedin.com/company/get-informed-now/    Find Nick Thompson here:   Nick Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nthompson513/   UCAN Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_ucan_foundation/     YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EyesWideOpenContent      LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickthompson13/       UCAN Foundation: https://theucanfoundation.org/     Website: https://www.engagewithnick.com