COM 101: Evaluating Websites

Evaluating sources like websites is important because you want to gather accurate information and have reliability as a student and a scholar.

Even in everyday life, understanding how to evaluate information will help you to be well-informed and look beyond the sensationalism that is often present online.

Staying successfully updated requires individuals to be information literate.

What is information literacy?

• Knowing when and why you need information, where to find it and how to evaluate, use, and communicate it in an ethical manner. (Chartered Institute of lLibraryand Information Professionals, 2004)

Bias can be hard to detect.

• Psychologists have shown that we naturally tend to accept any information that supports what we already believe, as true, even if the information isn't reliable.
• The information should be objective, fair, and balanced.
• The absence of a viewpoint could present a bias.
• Products and services can be sold...and so can ideas (religious, political, etc.)
• Be especially careful when the viewpoint isn't apparent.

This AllSides Media Bias Chart helps you to easily identify different perspectives so you can get the full picture and think for yourself. Knowing the political bias of media outlets allows you to consume a balanced news diet and avoid manipulation and fake news. 

Source: https://www.allsides.com/media-bias/media-bias-chart

An informative video created by a Swedish newspaper, Metro Sverige, Swedish fact checker, Viralgranskaren, and the Internet Foundation in Sweden.