Lecture Notes

Source Credibility Online by Amy Bonebright

• Anyone can publish anything on the Internet
• Presents opportunity but also requires responsibility
• Helpful thing to look at when determining credibility:

1. What evidence is there for the author’s authority on the subject?

• Make sure there is a name attached to the piece
• Look for information about the author- qualifications, work experience, credentials, professional information, affiliations with organizations, connections, contact information, etc.
• Check social media of author

2. Clues of bias

• Who they work for, who they are affiliated with
• Must be honest if they are reviewing a product which they received for free

3. Check the date the piece was published

• provides relevance and context

4. Are works cited?

• List of references or hyperlinks- does the website link to outside sources?
• Look at the blog role- a list of other websites the blogger gets info from

5. What other sources can be found offline?

• Higher credibility to media sources that exist both inside and outside the internet
• CNN- more credible than a newer website

6. Sight credibility

• Many websites have a strong slant
• Readers more receptive to a neutral source rather than a niche website like the Blaze with a strong conservative bias
• Follow the money- find out who’s funding the website
• Check the About Us page