MGMT 102 - Business Communication

Four strategies to use in evaluating information/websites/news stories: 

• Check for previous work
  • Look around to see if someone else has already fact-checked the claim or provided a synthesis of research. 
• Go upstream
  • Go "upstream" to the source of the claim. Most web content is not original. Get to the original source to understand the trustworthiness of the information. 
• Read laterally
  • Once you get to the source, read what others have to say about the source (publication, author, content, etc). The truth is in the network.
  • This can manifest as "open a new tab, and Google the information/source/organization" 
• Circle back 
  • If you hit dead ends or start going down a rabbit hole, back up and start over knowing what you know now. 

The 5 Cs of Critical Consuming

#1: Context – Look at the context of the article.

• When was it written?
• Where does it come from?
• Have the events changed since then?
• Is there any new information that could change your perspective?

#2: Credibility – Check the credibility of the source.

• Does the site have a reputation for journalistic integrity?
• Does the author cite credible sources?
• Is it satirical?
• Is it on a list of fake news sites?
•  Is it actually an advertisement posing as a real news story?

#3: Construction. Analyze the construction of the article.

• What is the bias?
• Are there any loaded words?
• Any propaganda techniques?
• Any omissions that you should look out for?
• Can you distinguish between the facts and opinions?
• Is it simply all speculation?

#4: Corroboration: Corroborate the information with other credible news sources.

• Is it the only source making this claim? If it is, there’s a good chance it’s actually not true.

#5: Compare: Compare it to other news sources to get different perspectives and a bigger picture of what’s actually happening.

• Are there other credible sources from other areas of the ideological or political spectrum?

From http://www.spencerauthor.com/fake-news-is-a-real-problem-heres-how-students-can-solve-it/