I ask myself specific questions, search for the answers using google, and use those answers to form my thoughts about a topic.
For example, someone just claimed that Trump used his inheritance to make himself wealthy. They wanted me to believe Trump is a liar and that he didn't work for his wealth. So, I searched what year his dad died, 1999. Then I searched to find Trumps net worth for the years leading up to that time. I found an unflattering article about him that did have some useful information. He was estimated to be worth 1 billion dollars in 1989, a full decade before he could have received his inheritance.
I obtained information without any use of opinion, emotions, or propaganda and used it to reaffirm my initial opinion of the president. That's how it's supposed to be done.
Mainstream media is garbage information filled with emotional arguments, propaganda, and opinions rather than facts. Anyone who reads an article from any of them for information is just allowing themselves to be brainwashed. Media is thought control.