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ENG 130 - English Comp (DiDomenico) 2019: Investigate the Source

I: Investigate the Source

Knowing the expertise and agenda of the source is crucial to your interpretation of what they say. Taking sixty seconds to figure out where media is from before reading will help you decide if it is worth your time, and if it is, help you to better understand its significance and trustworthiness.

Example - Medical Organizations

Let's compare the two websites below.

 

 

Question:

  • Which would you consider more reliable?

Example - Dr. Oz

For this example, set aside for a moment the question of whether this website is a reliable news source. Let's consider the expertise of the author:

Questions:

  • How can you evaluate Dr. Oz's expertise?
  • Discuss credentials vs. professional reputation.

Example - Foundation for a Smoke-Free World

Consider this organization:

Questions:

  • What about this source?  Is there a different, more preferable source available that covers the same subject?

Example - Alligator in the News

Check out both of these news reports and answer the questions below.

https://abcnews4.com/news/videos/legal-fight-continues-over-90-year-old-woman-killed-by-alligator

https://kdvr.com/2016/07/29/90-year-old-woman-killed-by-alligator-at-south-carolina-nursing-home/

Questions:

  • Are these trustworthy news sources for this sort of story?
  • Is this story likely true?
  • If you had to pick the best source of the two based just on what you found on Wikipedia, which one would you pick, and why?