Image by Sollok29 (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
In recent years, a variety of news sources have been accused of being biased, untrustworthy, satirical, or outright fake. These concerns have become increasingly important as more and more news is delivered on the web, rather than via print or broadcast journalism. If everyone and anyone can write an article and post it online, how do we know which ones to trust?
In July 2016, the Pew Research Center reported that "only 4% of web-using adults have a lot of trust in the information they find on social media." Are you in the 4%?
Sadly, no. It would be easier if we could, right? But it's difficult to do so.
In November 2016, a Merrimack College communications professor named Melissa Zimdars attempted to publish a list of "False, Misleading, Clickbait-y, and/or Satirical “News” Sources." Her Google Doc received wide attention and response, both positive and negative. As of November 18, Zimdars had removed the list for further refinement but left her introduction and a list of suggestions for evaluating news sources and websites. Read about the controversy below:
All right, we'll bite. Before the list was taken down, here were some of the sites that Zimdars suggested avoiding. Do you think she was right?
Think before you cite it! Below are some types of news sources, websites, and publications that may not be entirely trustworthy, but for different reasons:
Some news sites have long been easy to identify for their satirical, farcical, or parody content. Here are some examples that you might have heard of already:
Some news sources report on real events, but may not have a strictly poker-faced interpretation. They may use humor in their reporting, or they may have a bias or slant. Bias is not only political -- some publications or companies may be influenced by advertising, consideration for the company's owner or backers, revenue, or religion or lack thereof.
You've probably heard of these news sources. Which ones would you consider biased? Some of them? All of them?
We've all seen them: the sensationalist headlines in all caps that get shared over and over on social media. While some of these articles do cover true events or facts, would they be the best choice to use in an academic project? To share with a friend or family member? To read for fun or kill time?
