{"id":1000,"date":"2020-03-30T16:23:18","date_gmt":"2020-03-30T16:23:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/librarywp.whatcom.edu\/infolit\/?page_id=1000"},"modified":"2022-11-30T22:45:40","modified_gmt":"2022-11-30T22:45:40","slug":"evaluating-news-sources","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/librarywp.whatcom.edu\/infolit\/evaluating-news-sources\/","title":{"rendered":"Evaluate news sources"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

News sources require a different approach than scholarly articles when it comes to evaluation. Consider these questions as you read, share, and use news information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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1. Are you biased?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Test yourself for hidden bias<\/a> on issues like disability, body weight, Arab-Muslim, weapons, race, age, etc., and learn a bit about your own bias. Created by Project Implicit<\/a>, a non-profit that educates the public about hidden biases and provides a \u201cvirtual lab\u201d for collecting data on the internet. A project of the Southern Poverty Law Center.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

2. What makes a news source trustworthy? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

These qualities in a news source tend to result in fair and accurate coverage. See examples of articles from these newspapers in one of our News and media databases<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n

Machinery of care<\/span>Transparency<\/span>Expertise<\/span>Agenda<\/span><\/div>
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Good news sources have significant processes and resources dedicated to promoting accuracy, and correcting error. <\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n

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Good news sources clearly mark opinion columns as opinion, disclose conflicts of interest, indicate in stories where information was obtained and how it was verified, and provide links to sources.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n

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Good news sources hire reporters with reporting or area expertise who have been educated in the processes of ethical journalism. Where new writers with other expertise are brought in, they are educated by the organization.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n

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The primary mission of a good news source is to inform its readers. Does your source…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  • Inform, for general benefit?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Convince?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Build consensus?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Sell?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Entertain?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Ridicule, manipulate, harm?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Generate clicks?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Provoke outrage?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    3. Why should you care if news is real?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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    1. You deserve the truth.<\/strong> You are smart enough to make up your own mind\u2014as long as you have the real facts in front of you. And you have every right to be insulted when you read fake news, because it means someone wants to manipulate you.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    2. False news destroys your credibility.<\/strong> If your arguments are built on bad information, it will be much more difficult for people to believe you in the future.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    3. Fake news can hurt you and a lot of other people.<\/strong> Purveyors of false and misleading medical advice like Mercola.com and NaturalNews.com help perpetuate myths like \u201cvaccines cause autism.\u201d These sites are heavily visited and their lies are dangerous.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    4. Real news can benefit you.<\/strong> Before buying something expensive, you want evidence of its quality. Before voting, you want authentic information on a candidate so you can choose the person who best represents your ideas and beliefs. Fake news won\u2019t help you spend your money wisely or make the world a better place, but real news can.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n