Evaluating Information

Sense and Nonsense on the Internet
Companion Research Guide:
http://fhsuguides.fhsu.edu/times_talk/truth_or_consequences

http://literallyunbelievable.org/

SATIRE:
1. The use of humor, irony, exaggeration,
or ridicule to expose and criticize people’s
stupidity or vices, particularly in the
context of contemporary politics and other
topical issues.
2. A play, novel, film or other work that
uses satire.

 The New York Times published the article “Fear of Kim Kardashian’s Derriere”,
which included information from a satire news source.

The
Washington Post
Reported that
Sarah Palin was
joining
Al-Jazeera news,
based on a hoax
news article
Homer Simpson artwork by Wirgelis: http://fav.me/d2r5914
"SarahPalinElon" by Therealbs2002 - Own work. Licensed under CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons -
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:SarahPalinElon.jpg#mediaviewer/File:SarahPalinElon.jpg

While arguing against
marijuana legalization before
the Maryland General
Assembly, a police chief
cited a hoax article about
marijuana overdose deaths.

http://www.capitalgazette.com/cg2-arc-140226cn-hoaxstory-20140225,0,5461072.story
http://dailycurrant.com/2014/01/02/marijuana-overdoses-kill-37-in-colorado-on-first-day-of-legalization/

Image by Eugenia Loli: https://www.flickr.com/photos/eugenia_loli/8340337399/

Juan Pedro
Ramos died
from
anaphylaxis
after eating
some recently
developed
tomatoes
containing
fish genes,
which
provoked a
violent and
lethal allergic
reaction.
A

“All other Founding
Fathers are omitted from
the new curriculum in order
to ensure that learning
American history is as
organized and simplified as
possible.”
C

Does the story sound too extreme, silly, or just generally unlikely?
Before you click “share”, take a few moments to consider and
investigate a bit further. DISCLAIMER: This rule is less helpful in the case of
politicians or celebrities ;-)

Who is putting out this information? If it is a website, look for
“About Us” or Google the name of the site, publication name, or
author.

Don’t buy it just from reading the headline or the first few words.
Read it closely and be on the lookout for red flags, such as quotes
with no source, lack of citations, or opinions not backed up with facts.

Still not sure if the story is true? Dig deeper--find out if reputable
sources are publishing the same story. Search reliable sources
available in the library’s databases. If it is an image, try the reverse
Google image search or www.tineye.com

Kanye West: ‘I have a better butt’ than Kim Kardashian
(might be hard to determine it’s fake based on content, since Kanye West really does say
crazy things, but a simple look at the About page shows it’s fake)
Sarah Palin to Join Al-Jazeera as Host
First of all, it seems unlikely. As above, checking the About page shows it’s not true.
Perhaps the Washington Post blogger had a bias against Palin that made her more apt
to believe this story. Be careful of being blinded by your own biases—do you want a story
to be true because it confirms your opinion about an issue or person?
Marijuana Overdoses Kill 37 in Colorado on First Day of Legalization
Also easily discredited by checking the source, but there are other red flags, such as
quotes and references about fictional characters (Jesse Pinkman from Breaking Bad, Dr.
Jack Shepard from Lost), cites the Rocky Mountain News which ceased in 2009. Also,
there is little scientific evidence of deaths caused by marijuana overdose. Check
reputable sites such as Medline Plus,

Can your source pass the CRAAP TEST?
 Currency: how recent is the
information?
 Relevance: Does it pertain to your
topic or question?
 Accuracy: Can you verify it using
respected sources?
 Authority: What credentials does the
author hold? Is he/she an expert or
scholar on the topic?
 Purpose: Why was it published? To
sell you something, change your
political opinion, to inform, or
entertain? (evidence of bias?)

Just because an article is peer reviewed does
not mean that you shouldn’t question it.
The process is rigorous, but not immune from
fraud and abuse.

 Study published in The Lancet
(a peer-reviewed medical
journal), February 1998.
 Partially retracted in 2004,
completely retracted 2010.
 Data in study was falsified.
 In the meantime, vaccination
rated dropped, instances of
measles increased.

Be aware of what your own biases are: does that
make you more likely to believe a certain kind of
article?
In academic work, there is often no black or white
answers. It is a constant conversation where
answers are often ambiguous.
If you aren’t sure, follow the citations. Librarians
are happy to help!

New practices by even reputable sources make it even more
vital to be vigilant about what information we accept and
share.

A form of advertising meant to match, or blend in
with, the platform on which it appears.
Blurs the line between editorial content and
business/advertising: a division the press has
historically considered indispensable. Referred to
as “church and state” to highlight nature of
separation.

http://youtu.be/E_F5GxCwizc?t=2m27s

Photo by United Press, 1948, Records of the U.S. Information Agency National Archives

Is “new media” beginning to see the value of print practices like fact-
checking?

 “The old guard argued that they
were driven by the quest for truth,
and by their sense of what citizens
need to know to be informed
participants in democracy.
 Reporting was all about locking
down the facts and presenting them
to readers, who would know best how
to take advantage of the light we
shined.”
 Digital journalists countered that
their way was more honest and
democratic—and quicker.
 If that meant presenting stories
before they’d been thoroughly vetted,
that was okay, because the internet
would correct itself. Truth would
emerge through open trial and
error.“

Fisher, M. (2014). Who cares if it’s true? Columbia Journalism Review, 52(6), 26-
33.
http://www.cjr.org/cover_story/who_cares_if_its_true.php?page=all&print=true

IT’S DIRTY AND
IT’S NOT ALWAYS RIGHT,
BUT IT’S INSTANTANEOUS
~Ed O’Keefe, 36, a veteran of ABC News now working as Editor in Chief of the website NowThisNews.
“This is no expression of tabloid amorality; O’Keefe is a serious journalist who is trying to find a
standard that works in the new world. He doesn’t want to deliver inaccuracies to his audience.
Rather, he wants to give them the closest version of the truth he can while still meeting them where
they are, which is on their phone, right now. Wait a few minutes, and they won’t be there anymore;
they’ll have moved on to the next story.” (Fisher).

SPEED IS PART OF THE BRAND
THAT MEANS THAT “IF
THE TIMES IS REPORTING SOMETHING,
IT’S ALREADY VERIFIED.”
Fisher, M. (2014). Who cares if it’s true? Columbia Journalism Review, 52(6),
26-33.

IMMEDIATE, FREE
ACCURACY WAIT
PAY FOR
QUALITY

We cannot rely on others to vet the information they publish. Even reputable
sources can fail to verify their sources. In the end, we each must be
responsible for evaluating information and deciding its worth.
Image: https://openclipart.org/detail/1087/Uncle Sam pointing

CBC News. (2015, February 19). Pat Martin’s ‘brief’ encounter. [Video file]. Retrieved from
http://youtu.be/CKmPqm8aaMk
Chappell, B. (2015, February 20). Canadian lawmaker uses ‘tight underwear’ excuse to explain
absence. [Blog post]. National Public Radio. Retrieved from http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-
way/2015/02/20/387747263/canadian-lawmaker-uses-tight-underwear-excuse-to-explain-
absence?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=politics
Editors of The Lancet. (2010). Retraction- Ilial-lymphoid-nodular hyperplasia, non-specific colitis,
and pervasive developmental disorder in children. The Lancet, 375, 445. doi:10.1016/S0140-
6736(10)60175-4.
Education win: This amazing school is streamlining its history curriculum by combining all of the
founding fathers into a single composite character. (2015, February 26). Retrieved from
http://www.clickhole.com/article/education-win-amazing-school-streamlining-its-hist-1970
Emery, D. (n.d.) Hercules, world’s biggest dog? Retrieved from
http://urbanlegends.about.com/od/dogs/ss/Worlds-Biggest-Dog.htm

Fisher, M. (2014). Who cares if it’s true? Columbia Journalism Review, 52(6), 26-33. Retrieved from
Jackson, A. (2014, February 25, 2014). Annapolis police chief apologizes for citing hoax story in
testimony against marijuana legalization. Capital Gazette. Retrieved from
http://www.capitalgazette.com/cg2-arc-140226cn-hoaxstory-20140225,0,5461072.story
Johnson, B. (2015, January 18). Doctors confirm first human death officially caused by GMOs.
World News Daily Report. Retrieved from http://worldnewsdailyreport.com/doctors-confirm-first-
human-death-officially-caused-by-gmos/
Kanye: ‘I have a better butt’ than Kim Kardashian. (2014, November 14). The Daily Currant.
Retrieved from http://dailycurrant.com/2014/11/14/kanye-i-have-a-better-butt-than-kim-kardashian-
2/
King, S. (2013). Lucid stead photo. Retrieved from http://www.cracked.com/article_21047_19-images-
you-wont-believe-arent-photoshopped-part-13.html
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. (2014, August 3). Last week tonight with John Oliver: Native
advertising (HBO). [Video file]. Retrieved from http://youtu.be/E_F5GxCwizc
Marijuana overdoses kill 37 in Colorado on first day of legalization. (2014, January 2). The Daily
Currant. Retrieved from http://dailycurrant.com/2014/01/02/marijuana-overdoses-kill-37-in-colorado-
on-first-day-of-legalization/

Parker, S. (2013, February 12). Sarah Palin tries to stay relevant. [She the People blog post]. The
Washington Post. Retrieved from http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/she-the-
people/wp/2013/02/12/sarah-palins-when-politics-and-celebrity-meet/
Perry, C. (2013). NASA wallops flight facility. [Photo posted to NASA Instagram account]. Retrieved
from https://instagram.com/p/eKfsSLIaB9/
Russo, J. (2014, March 4). 19 images you won’t believe aren’t Photoshopped (part 13). Retrieved from
http://www.cracked.com/article_21047_19-images-you-wont-believe-arent-photoshopped-part-13.html
Sarah Palin to join Al-Jazeera as host. (2013, February 4). The Daily Currant. Retrieved from
http://dailycurrant.com/2013/02/04/sarah-palin-join-al-jazeera-host/
Smith, P. K., III. (2013). Lucid stead. Retrieved from http://royaleprojects.com/lucid-stead
Sullivan, M. (2015, February 7). Another outbreak of ‘false balance’? [The Public Editor blog post]. The
New York Times. Retrieved from http://nyti.ms/1IqOma2
Sullivan, M. (2015, January 10). An uneasy mix of news and opinion. [The Public Editor blog post].
The New York Times. Retrieved from http://nyti.ms/1xVFB16

The News Literacy Project. (2014, June 10). Photo fact-checking in the digital age. [Video file].
Retrieved from http://youtu.be/Ewrx1lDhVPE
United Press. (1948). Dewey defeats Truman [photo]. Records of the U.S. Information Agency, National
Archives. Retrieved from http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/running-for-office/larger-
image.php?image=45.1
Wadler, J. (2014, November 21). Fear of Kim Kardashian’s derriere. The New York Times. Retrieved
from http://nyti.ms/1xyZsT0
Wakefield, A.J., Murch, S.H., Anthony, A., Linnel, J., Casson, D.M., Malik, …Walker-Smith, J.A. (1998).
Ilial-lymphoid-nodular hyperplasia, non-specific colitis, and pervasive developmental disorder in
children. The Lancet, 351, 638-641.

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