These are a few of my least favorite things

A couple of the things I hate seeing the most on social media.

1. Clinging to your preferred narrative like a drowning man hanging on to a life preserver, regardless of any evidence that it isn’t true. Bonus points if you’re a professional journalist or academic.

…as can be observed every day in less consequential political discourse, we just don't believe you is among the most potent of overrides when it comes to assessing factual claims. Those who assign Israelis, and their American sponsors, with central blame for the conflicts in the Middle East, end up treating the accused as guilty until proven innocent. "Israel…is the least trustworthy source about the bombing of the hospital in Gaza," asserted the subhed on a Wednesday Scheer Post column from former New York Times Mideast correspondent Chris Hedges that repeated several Hamas-generated claims that have since been debunked.

For a more sober presentation of a similar sentiment, here's Beirut journalist (and Reason contributor) Michael Young, writing Thursday at Carnegie Mellon's Diwan:

Israel ha…