Organizations that publish news & opinions

News outlets and magazines are created by organizations that provide information, but they're different from other information-providing organizations because:

  • Their information is constantly being updated as new things happen

  • They generate their own new information by doing research and interviewing sources

  • They are supposed to follow the Professional Journalists' Code of Ethics

  • Their news and information is sometimes also made available in print form or on a traditional TV or radio station

Some of the clues that tell you the information source is a news outlet show up on the website:

  • The sections at the top of the page, such as "Politics" or "Opinions"

  • The name(s) of the journalist(s) responsible for the story or piece in the byline

  • The date the story or piece was published

  • There may also be a link to "Subscribe"

You can always investigate a news outlet by searching for a Wikipedia article, but there are resources designed especially to help you find out how much an information source is known for reporting fairly and accurately.

There are others--these are just a good place to start.

Here's an excerpt of what Media Bias/Fact Check has to say about The Washington Post.

Keep in mind that bias may be a factor in whether you use an information source, but the track record for reporting factually is even more important.

If a news outlet has a rating of "Mostly Factual," you might want to keep looking for other options.

A news outlet with a Factual Reporting rating of "High" or "Very High," like this one, would be better.

An important thing to know about news outlets is that there's a difference between impartial news stories and editorials/opinion pieces.

  • In an impartial news story, like this one:

  • You shouldn't be able to tell what the journalist thinks of the topic

  • The journalist shouldn't be trying to persuade you

  • There shouldn't be any "loaded language"

  • If there's more than one reasonable side to the story, those sides should be presented

If this story was an opinion piece, it would be is labeled "Opinion," not "Climate."

In this example, the article is labeled "Opinion." Other clues this is not an impartial article:

  • It's pretty clear what George Monbiot thinks of climate change--and what he wants you to think

  • A word like "masterstroke" could be considered loaded

  • He's definitely not going to present any side of the story but his own

However, he should still follow the Journalists' Code of Ethics. He should not misrepresent the truth.

An opinion piece is definitely going to have a perspective, but it still might be an information source you could use for a school research assignment.

Find out more about perspectives and bias -->

Very often, an opinion piece is created by someone who has been invited to contribute to the news outlet, but doesn't actually work for the organization. When this is the case, it's a good idea to investigate the individual responsible for the information as well as the organization that published it.

This guy actually has his own Wikipedia page. He has some of the credentials, like awards, that indicate he has a good reputation as a journalist.

This part of his Wikipedia page has nothing to do with his reputation as a journalist. It's just super interesting. And may either totally encourage or discourage you from becoming an investigate journalist.

WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG?

(Other than being stung into a poisoned coma by hornets)

A red flag that this might NOT be a good information source to use for a school research assignment is:

  • The headline doesn't match the story

The story itself says that pumpkins become part of the solid waste that leads to greenhouse gas, but the headline makes it seem like it's entirely pumpkins' fault.

Media Bias/Fact Check rates The Washington Times as "Mixed" for Factual Reporting and calls them a "Questionable Source."

Note that they acknowledge The Washington Times's straight news is not as biased as its editorials.

However, it's clearly NOT a good information source for a school research assignment.

Here's another information source with a red flag:

  • The headline is sensational and an exaggeration

It's an exaggeration to say there's "only" one thing that can stop climate change. The term "class war" is a sensational one that's meant to stir up emotions.

That would be enough to tell you NOT to use this information source for a school research assignment.

But the Ad Fontes chart below has an additional clue.

The Ad Fontes chart places Jacobin in the "hyper-partisan" category in terms of bias. More importantly, it's on the border between "reliable for news but high in analysis/opinion content" and "some reliability issues and/or extremism" in terms of reliability. That area of the chart is NOT a good one to end up in.

You might have noticed that the Jacobin article wasn't labeled "Opinion," even though it's definitely trying to persuade readers.

Some periodicals are magazines that are almost entirely opinion pieces. They don't label their articles the same way as, say, a daily newspaper. They assume people reading them will know they're not going to find any impartial reporting. Jacobin is one example. National Review is another.

Find out more about magazines and other types of periodicals you might encounter -->

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