Finding trust in mediated information is work on our parts. Here are a few things we can do to be able to rely on information. This process can be used for any information source whether it be online articles, nonfiction books, scholarly articles, works of fiction or the evening news.
- Identify and consider the biases you bring into your research.
- After reading or listening to an information source, ask yourself what you just learned and what do you still want to know. Starting with this basic step can be very enlightening.
- Ask what is the author saying or arguing? How is the author making their case? Why does this matter to the reader?
- For whom is this information intended?
- Read, watch, and listen widely. Don't rely solely on the citations you're able to locate from one or two research papers. Don't work in an information bubble.
- Whenever possible, go to the original report, video, image, filing or brief. This primary source material will provide you with unmediated facts. Then, think about how the news item was trying to make you feel. What emotional language was used?
- Take the time to read and analyze the research process as describe in the essay you're reading. Do the results match the conclusions? How large was the test group? How solid is the methodology?
- What do you know about the author? What is their background? How might they be trying to position you?
- Is this information provided through a free or paid source? Did you have to provide any of your personal data to access the information? (Giving up your personal information is a price you pay.)
- How are you being positioned? What is the bias in this piece? What do they want you to think? feel? Pay attention to adjectives and pejorative language.
- What do you know about the source that delivered the news item? Who is on their board? Who are their main contributors? What is there stated purpose or mission? Who funded the research?
- What does the quality of the images, writing and spelling indicate about the integrity of this source?
