What is source evaluation?

Is what you read on social media or in  news articles true? It is easy to believe so. Still,  you need to ask the question if the source is trustworthy or not.

Both social media and news texts can be untrue or may not include all the information. This is called fake news.

En person som sjekker nyhetssider på mobil og PC
En person som sjekker nyhetssider på mobil og PC

Access to information comes with major challenges

We get a lot of information through the internet and social media. We can get and share a lot of information in a short period of time.

Many people use Google to research and social media to share. It can be hard to recognize what is true and what is not.

Skjermpdump av Google
Skjermpdump av Google

How to evaluate sources critically

The sources you use in your writing need to be carefully chosen. This includes looking at the following:

    • Who is the source?
    • How believable is what is being said?
    • What is the meaning of the text?
    • What do the language, images and graphs tell you?
    • Is the source up to date?

Who is the author?

Who has written the text? Does it make a difference if it is a person, an organization, or a government giving the information?

What aim does the author have in presenting the information? That is important to find out. Maybe someone has paid to make it public?

Sponsored content is content that someone pays to get into a publication.

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Nærbilde av en mann som holder en iPad
Nærbilde av en mann som holder en iPad

How credible is it?

It is important to know the difference between news and research results.

Research

Research must follow ethical guidelines when doing research.

    • The result of the research must be testable.
    • The research must be read and checked by other researchers
    • The research must show what sources it is based on

News

Most newspapers and journalists follow a code of ethics. Editors and co-workers must know the code and have to follow it. The code of ethics covers every step  from when information is gathered until it is presented.

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Read more about The Code of Ethics for Professional Journalists here
En dame i et laboratorium
En dame i et laboratorium

What meaning does the post have?

If politicians want to get more votes, they may post an ad on their political goals. But a business will use rhetorical devices (language techniques) to get its message through. It shows that different posts have different meanings.

Take the time to find out the meaning of the news or ad you read.

Read more about rhetorics here

Analyze the language, images, and graphs

Does the text include a lot of spelling mistakes, or does it use easy language? This can be a sign that it has been translated from another language or not written by a professional.

Photos and pictures can also be fake. Try to Google the picture and see if you find the same or a similar one. Someone might have manipulated the picture to make it fit the information. 

Also, numbers and graphs can be manipulated. So those sources need to be checked as well. Are all the numbers shown? Who is behind the information? Always check all the sources.

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Is the source relevant? Is the story up to date?

How old is the story? Always check what date it was written and look for updates. Approved encyclopedias are good sources.

    • Has something new happened since the article was first published?
    • Have laws or other situations changed since the text was published?
    • Are the numbers presented in the article based on old research?
    • Do you have any new information on the story or theme?
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Nærbilde av en avis
Nærbilde av en avis

A world with and without source criticism

Watch this film from Full Fact, the UK’s independent fact checking organization.

Sources:

Media Rights:

    1. Getty Images
    2. Skjermdump av Google.com
    3. Getty Images
    4. Getty Images
    5. Getty Images
    6. Getty Images
    7. Getty Images
    8. Getty Images
    9. Google News Initiative – YouTube