Becoming a savvy news consumer
Remember the adage ‘don’t believe everything you read’? Follow these five steps to protect yourself and become a savvy news consumer
We sarcastically say it all the time: “If it’s on the internet, it has to be true!” Then we laugh because we know that’s actually miles from the truth. Free speech is one of the core principles for a prosperous world, but with it comes the responsibility to carefully consider everything you see, hear, or read. With increasingly high-speed advancements in technology, it is proving to be even more difficult to sort fact from fiction.
Whether we’re browsing social media, wading through product and company reviews, or skimming informational articles, developing critical thinking skills is the best way to navigate the new world of free and abundant information. Here are a few suggestions for building better discernment:
1.Take everything with a grain of salt.
The amount of information on the World Wide Web is simply too vast to verify. According to Forbes, humans create 2.5 quintillion bytes of data every single day, but what’s more shocking is that people trust what’s out there; Google processes more than 40,000 searches per second. So it makes sense that anyone with an agenda or personal vendetta will go online to share opinions, information, and even misinformation. It’s the fastest way to publicize our perspective nowadays. But that also makes the internet a potential hotbed for half-truths and other nonsense.
2. Check the URL and credentials.
Even middle schoolers are taught to pay attention to web addresses. Those ending in .edu or .org are most often written by professional organizations with accuracy in mind—or that’s the prevailing expectation.
But certainly .com sites can be credible too. Professional sites will have a robust “about us” page where you can learn about contributors’ credentials and an organization’s expertise. Consider these facts when deciding if authors know what they’re talking about.
Also, many news sites provide a short bio at the end of articles; this is a quick and easy way to assess if the author is an authority on the topic.
3. Consider the method behind the headline-writing madness.
Writers and content creators today earn their paychecks by writing click-bait titles, and they’ll say anything to get views, subscribers, and likes.
Let’s say you come across this compelling headline: “Cheeseburger diet leads to great weight-loss success.” Your click-bait antennae should start buzzing! An easy way to determine if this story is legit is to analyze the methods behind the study. What was the size of the sample group—in this case, the number of people who lost weight on a greaseball diet? How long were their results tracked? Could other factors have contributed to the weight loss, and if so, did the study authors consider these? If the story hinges on a single account of a woman who lost 25 pounds eating a cheeseburger each day, but she had been accustomed to eating four cheeseburgers per day for five years before that, of course she would lose weight as she cut calories. That does not mean we should all add a daily burger to our diets!
A credible study will have a substantial sample size of diverse people who are tracked over a reasonable period, and the study authors will account for other possible reasons for their results. Most importantly, all this information will be provided in the source. Do not be afraid to dig into the details—and if there aren’t any, be skeptical.
For less-scientific topics, check where the author got his or her facts. If an article references multiple sources, it’s better researched.
4. Polish matters.
When a website is littered with grammatical errors, pay attention. Sophisticated website editors know polish equates to credibility, and they’re willing to pay big bucks for professional writing and proofreading.
The same goes for web design. If the website doesn’t look “clean” with consistent font choices and sizes, high-quality images, plenty of white space, and logical organization, reconsider the source.
5. Trust your gut.
When something sounds too good to be true—or feels more bitter than professional—it’s probably fueled by something other than truth.