How to Know Which Media to Trust

How do you decide which media to trust? As more media outlets are owned by just a few corporations, Americans really need a guide to help them decide what is trustworthy information. I found an article by Tom Rosenstiel, President of the American Press Institute, where he suggests six questions to ask to determine the trustworthiness of a news source. http://www.americanpressinstitute.org/publications/six-critical-questions-can-use-evaluate-media-content/

The Pew Research Center posted a report on a project that sheds light on the political polarization in America today. It is well worth a careful read:  http://www.journalism.org/2014/10/21/political-polarization-media-habits/  One big take away from the article is that Liberals get their information from a variety of sources; where Conservatives tend to rely mainly on Fox.

Here are Rosenstiel's six questions to ask yourself:  1. What type of content is this?

2. Who and what are sources cited and why should I believe them?

3. What is the evidence and how was it vetted?

4. Is the main point of the piece proven by the evidence?

5. What's missing?

6. Am I learning everyday what I need?

If you like these questions and find them useful, then please consider a careful read of his article linked above.

Pat Taylor Fuller is an Editor for Progressive Democrats - Moving Forward, Not Back 

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