Online News Platforms: How Do We Know Who We Can Trust?

 

"Invasion of Fake News" by Free Press Pics is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 

Online News Platforms: 

How Do We Know Who We Can Trust? 

Media-wise, the last five years have been a steep learning curve for most of us. From politics to public accountability to the pandemic, people have been pulled in many different directions it has sometimes been challenging to know exactly where to look for honest, reliable, and accurate news. 

This infographic provided by Cornell University Library offers simple steps to determine if the news you are reading is providing honest, reliable, and accurate information. 

“We all have gut feelings and biases that sometimes cloud our judgment,” says Frans. But scientific thinking offers us tools for “evaluating information in a rational way. (Balarezo & Chen, 2019).”

In this video and article from TedTalks, Emma Frans discusses understanding our biases and offers tips on using a scientific approach to avoid being fooled by the media. 

How to read news like a scientist

From knowing the best steps to recognize unreliable news sources to understanding our own internal biases that might lead us to seek the wrong sources, understanding these steps can help you to be a more active and more accurately informed consumer. 

References

Balarezo, D., & Chen, D. (2019, March 22). How to read the news like a scientist. Ideas.Ted.Com. Retrieved November 27, 2021, from https://ideas.ted.com/how-to-read-the-news-like-a-scientist/

Cornell University Library. (2021, November 17). LibGuides: Fake News, Propaganda, and Disinformation: Learning to Critically Evaluate Media Sources: What Is Fake News? Retrieved November 28, 2021, from https://guides.library.cornell.edu/evaluate_news