Finding News You Can Trust

What to look for

UCMerced put together some really clear guidelines on what news consumers should be looking for.

Characteristics of Reputable Newspapers

• publishes accurate content; checks facts, and if errors are made, corrects them
• uses reputable sources (people, documentation) and verifies those sources
• presents headlines which accurately represent the article content; headlines don't play on readers' emotions
• clearly identifies authors of articles with bylines
• produces its own content; doesn't merely aggregate content from other sources
• clearly identifies content types (e.g. report vs. editorial)
• conducts reporting not just editorializing
• employs journalists who follow the profession's code of ethics
• Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) Code of Ethics, four main sections: Seek Truth and Report It, Minimize Harm, Act Independently, Be Accountable and Transparent
• 10 Elements to Good Journalism (American Institute Press), selected from Kovach and Rosenstiel's book The Elements of Journalism.

As long as public a radio and television can continue to meet these standards, it will continue to meet the expectations of its audience. These standards need to adhered to no matter the platform.

Pew Research points out who you trust depends on your politics, but do politics make for reliable news? 

According to Melissa Zimdars, assistant professor of communication & media, Merrimack College, this is what you should watch out for. 

• Avoid websites that end in “lo” ex: Newslo. These sites take pieces of accurate information and then packaging that information with other false or misleading “facts” (sometimes for the purposes of satire or comedy). Example: Newslo also using URL politicot.com (similar to a legitimate news site)

• Watch out for websites that end in “.com.co” as they are often fake versions of real news sources. Example: abcnews.com.co (This domain is now available.)

• Watch out if known/reputable news sites are not also reporting on the story. Sometimes lack of coverage is the result of corporate media bias and other factors, but there should typically be more than one source reporting on a topic or event.

• Odd domain names generally equal odd and rarely truthful news.

• Lack of author attribution may, but not always, signify that the news story is suspect and requires verification.

• Some news organizations are also letting bloggers post under the banner of particular news brands; however, many of these posts do not go through the same editing process (ex: BuzzFeed Community Posts, Kinja blogs, Forbes blogs).

• Check the “About Us” tab on websites or look up the website on Snopes or Wikipedia for more information about the source.

• Bad web design and use of ALL CAPS can also be a sign that the source you’re looking at should be verified and/or read in conjunction with other sources. Example: Drudge Report

• If the story makes you REALLY ANGRY it’s probably a good idea to keep reading about the topic via other sources to make sure the story you read wasn’t purposefully trying to make you angry (with potentially misleading or false information) in order to generate shares and ad revenue.

• If the website you’re reading encourages you to DOX individuals, it’s unlikely to be a legitimate source of news.  DOX refers to publishing an individual's personal information with the intent of causing harm.

Naming Names

• It’s always best to read multiple sources of information to get a variety of viewpoints and media frames. Some sources not yet included in this list (although their practices at times may qualify them for addition), such as The Daily Kos, The Huffington Post, and Fox News, vacillate between providing important, legitimate, problematic, and/or hyperbolic news coverage, requiring readers and viewers to verify and contextualize information with other sources.

In The Middle

If you're looking for something centrist as your news source, the University of Michigan came up with these names.

Common Ground: Centrist News Sources

Wall Street Journal
Daily business-focused newspaper based out of New York City.

The Wall Street Journal has a bias rating of "Center" according to AllSides. The Pew Research Center found that the Wall Street Journal is read by people of all political leanings and is the only news source that is more trusted than distrusted by people all across the political spectrum. There is, however, some debate but it has been accused of being biased to both the left and the right.

BBC News
The British Broadcasting Corporation News division produces television, radio, and internet news. The BBC is a public service broadcaster established by a Royal Charter of the United Kingdom.

The BBC News has a bias rating of "Center" from AllSides. According to Pew, BBC is more trusted than distrusted among the different ideological groups except for consistently conservative individuals who view BBC as about equally trusted as distrusted.

USA Today
American daily newspaper that provides both news and entertainment coverage.

USA Today has a bias rating of "Center" from AllSides. According to the Pew survey, USA Today is more trusted than distrusted among the different ideological groups except for consistently conservatives who view USA Today as more distrusted than trusted.

Almost Center News Sources

The following news sources are rated as "Center" by AllSides and are noted for stating an independent and unbiased agenda, as well as consistently providing balanced coverage (giving time to both sides of an issue). However, they are listed here as almost center because of audience distrust from conservatives.

Respondents to the Pew survey who are consistently liberal, mostly liberal, and mixed views, rated these sources as more trusted than distrusted. Mostly conservatives rated them as about equally trusted as distrusted; Consistently conservatives rated them as more distrusted than trusted.

NPR
National Public Radio is a U.S. private and publicly funded non-profit organization that syndicates to a network of local stations.

PBS NewsHour
The Public Broadcasting Service is a non-commercial U.S. television broadcaster and distributor.

Looking Further

Look to Reuters, The Associated Press, The Times, The Post, The Hill, Politico, and The Week for more coverage. Other perspectives can be found by reading Op-ed pieces from a broad range of columnists, conservative, moderate and liberal. Search for writers with legitimate journalism credibility. Rumor mongers and punditry are less reliable. (Public media users tend to be turned off by these two groups.)

Finding reliable news sources can be problematic. Algorithms tend to classify you by your clicks. If you happen to click on a particular kind of sight (Conservative or Progressive), the algorithms will send you more of the same. The system will reinforce that particular viewpoint. It makes looking for diverse viewpoints and opinions more difficult. Aiming your search to centrist sources help mitigate that problem.

 

 

COVID - 19 Things that don't work!

Bogus Cures

There's all sorts of misinformation about the Coronavirus spreading all over the web.

The BBC lists six things that absolutely do not work.

1. Garlic

We're not talking about vampires.  The WHO (World Health Organization) says that while it is "a healthy food that may have some antimicrobial properties", there's no evidence that eating garlic can protect people from the new coronavirus.

2. 'Miracle minerals'

Last year, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned about the dangers to health of drinking MMS. Health authorities in other countries have also issued alerts about it.

3. Home-made hand sanitiser

There have been many reports of shortages of hand sanitiser gel, as washing your hands is one key way to prevent spread of the virus. There are rumors that Tito's Vodka can be used. Unfortunately, Tito's does not have enough alcohol to be used as a hand sanitizer. Ordinary soap and water works really well.

4. Drinkable silver

No, no, a thousand times no! There's a televangelist promoting this stuff. He's selling it.  there's clear advice from the US health authorities that there's no evidence this type of silver is effective for any health condition. More importantly, it could cause serious side effects including kidney damage, seizures and argyria - a condition that makes your skin turn blue.

5. Drinking water every 15 minutes

Drinking water will keep you hydrated, but there is no proof that you can flush the virus out of your system by drinking lots of water. This fake cure has been copied and pasted many times on Facebook

6. Heat and avoiding ice cream

Trying to heat your body or expose yourself to the sun - presumably to make it inhospitable to the virus - is completely ineffective, according to Prof Bloomfield.  Once the virus is in your body, there's no way of killing it - your body just has to fight it off.Outside the body, "to actively kill the virus you need temperatures of around 60 degrees [Celsius]", says Professor Bloomfield - far hotter than any bath.

UN Report Shows Bias Against Women

Gender Study Finds Bias Is Strong

As reported by the BBC:

Zimbabwe had the highest amount of bias.

In China, 55% of people thought men were better suited to be political leaders.

Around 39% of people in the US, which is yet to have a female president, thought men made better leaders.

However in New Zealand, a country that currently has a female leader, only 27% of people thought that.

Pedro Conceição, head of UNDP's Human Development Report Office said: "We have come a long way in recent decades to ensure that women have the same access to life's basic needs as men.

"But gender gaps are still all too obvious in other areas, particularly those that challenge power relations and are most influential in actually achieving true equality. Today. the fight about gender equality is a story of bias and prejudices."

UN report shows 90% worldwide bias against women.

The record number of women running for president has renewed the discussion of gender in politics according the Pew Research.

Fast facts on the challenges Americans see for female political candidates as Warren exits 2020 race

"49% of U.S. adults said gender discrimination was a major reason why there were fewer women than men in high political offices, including 59% of women and 36% of men who said this."

Public Media v Social Media: Advantage Social Media

It's Addictive

Social media apps are 'deliberately' addictive to users

How do you compete against something that is deliberately addictive? Does Public Media stand a chance when the deck is stacked?

In programming sessions we used to talk about how we had just seconds to draw in the listener before they would tune away. Once the audience is drawn into Social Media, they may never come back. A recent Pew study found that 45% of teens admit to face time with their screens all the time.

Teens, Social Media & Technology 2018

As an instructor I talk with teens about their media use. Most of them never listen to the radio. As Social Media addicts looking for the instant gratification of the like button, they haven't got time, and Public Radio isn't nearly as exciting.

Among adults, 59% say it would not be hard to give up Social Media, but that comment seems to be contradicted by the study published by the BBC. Indeed, among adults who grew up with Social Media, Millennials 18 to 24, 51% admit that it would be hard to give up social media.

Social Media companies are using color, sounds and unexpected rewards to drive compulsive behavior. A Social Media developer quoted in the article said quitting is a lot like trying to quit cigarettes, he went through withdrawal. I don't think anybody has said that about Public Media. Of course, we often talk about the news junkie during fundraisers. What happens if Social Media has a stronger allure?

Endless Scroll

Why is this so different? Listeners used to tune out all the time. If they were loyal to Public Media, they would always come back. One of the advantages of the of the newer technologies is the endless scroll. Users can thumb through an endless scroll of content. Public Media is just one of an almost endless stream of content. That's a shift from when we were a high quality choice among a few options. The competition is fierce, and the likelihood that we may never be seen or heard is increasing.

Searching for Sanity in News Coverage

In Praise of Journalism

More and more, I find myself searching for sanity in news coverage. I find myself recoiling from the bombast and daily assault of half truths and false statements.

There was a time when I would avoid the PBS NewsHour. It seemed so slow, so dry. I've come to appreciate the comprehensiveness and evenhanded approach to the stories. It comes down to trust.
I trust journalism...not punditry. So much of what passes for journalism is based on the exception. The comments and assertions are based on the exception to the norm...not on what is actually going on. The exception feeds on our fears and takes our attention away from real solutions.

After the recent election and the continued avalanche of misstatements based on sketchy sources, I find myself being a lot more careful about what I read. And if something turns out  to be incomplete, I appreciate sources that continue to dig.

Other trusted sources:

• NPR
• APM
• PRI
• Reuters
• BBC
• and an assortment of newspapers, magazines and sites that take the time to check their sources.

What was it that Ben Bradlee said? Something like, "Check all your sources twice, except for your mother, check her three times.

Vetting and Why I Listen to Public Radio

A Matter of Core Values

So often I offer critiques of public radio. That's because I worked in public radio for over three decades. How about some long overdue praise? The other day I was listening to a short report about vetting immigrants and it became clear why I listen.

Some background

I started listening in 1978. I was looking for something different...something with depth...something stimulating. I was driving through Michigan on my way home from visiting a friend. I was scanning the radio dial when I happened on NPR's All Things Considered which was being broadcast by the station in Ann Arbor (Now Michigan Radio). The reports were like nothing else I had heard on the radio. The depth and variety of viewpoints engaged me. That half-hour flew by. So did the next the next 20 minutes until I drove out of range. The station was airing a documentary about the Pullman workers in the Jim Crow era. I wanted more.

I sought out public radio. What I found was a mix of content. Some of it great...some of it not so great. The moments of greatness far outweighed the disappointments. The in-depth news and music programming were a perfect match for lifestyle and values.What really struck me was the emphasis on civil discourse and fairness.

Later that year I started volunteering at WUWM and a few months later started working as their music director.

Many Years Later

Despite the fact that I no longer work full time in public radio...it is still a trusted source for news and information. It's the place I go to when I want to know more about complex issues. I use other sources. I check on-line news aggregators. I read newspapers in print and on-line. I stay away from cable news.

After the terrorist attacks in Paris, and after the reaction of the Governors and Republican presidential candidates to essentially shut down our borders to Syrian refugees, I wanted to find out more about the vetting process. The Republicans and some Democrats wanted to make sure our government was fully vetting refugees before admitting them to the United States. The implication was the process was loose. The scenario of thousands of radicals streaming across our southern border was being shouted by politicians and pundits on cable news. There seemed to be nothing civil or fair about their coverage.

I've gotten to the point I can't stay with cable news very long. I'm not the only one who noticed the shrill nature of coverage on the cable networks with all sorts of fear mongering and punditry posing as news coverage.

Trust

I went to a sources I've found I can reliably trust to give me the full story in fair manner. I went to NPR, Public Radio and the BBC. Here's an example...

4 Things To Know About The Vetting Process For Syrian Refugees

I found that the refugees were already being vetted. The process for admission for a refugee can take two years. The refugees aren't just being dropped off in communities. There are nine groups helping with resettlement. According to the NPR report, "Six of them are faith-based. They help refugees find homes, furniture, school supplies and jobs." Finally, some officials worry there may be gaps in the system.

That's a far cry from this...

Islamophobic Media Coverage Is Out Of Control

I come to public radio because I want to be informed. I want information that can help me connect the dots. I want coverage that I can trust. 

BBC Social Media Rules

Something Really Stands Out

The BBC has updated its social media rules for the News Division. Basically, it says don't do anything stupid.   (I think we could all learn from that.)

Latest update to social media guidance for BBC News Group staff.

New Stuff

• The guidelines cover interaction with user generated material.
• There are safety implications about sharing location data.

                           and 

• Cautions about sharing unconfirmed rumors.

Old Stuff

What really stands out for me is the section on impartiality.   It says, "Other fundamentals remain as before, including not saying anything that may compromise our impartiality, not sounding off about things "in an openly partisan way", and not revealing confidential BBC information." 

Isn't this the same standard that NPR was applying Juan Williams? Isn't this the standard that Williams ignored while offering his opinion on Fox News? 

Incidentally, Williams admitted in 2012 that he misses working at NPR. He is appreciative of the informed and influential audience that listens to NPR. Of course, there is not much of a chance he'll be back. He burned his bridges with his book calling NPR an "all-white organization" that exhibited the "worst of white condescension."

Juan Williams Says He Misses Working For NPR 'Big Time'

Political Leanings and Media

You are who you listen to

The Pew Research Journalism Project released a report about the media habits of liberals and conservatives. There is no middle ground.

These are Consistent Liberals and Consistent Conservatives. Their views consistently lean left or right. They represent about 20% of the population, and they do not leave room for other points of view. They are the most partisan. They have one thing in common. They tend to lead political discussions.

One Source v. Many
Consistent Conservatives rely primarily on one news source, Fox News. Consistent Liberals rely on several including the BBC, PBS, NPR and the New York Times. Another way of looking at this? Liberals are willing to look at the news from a variety of perspectives. When I worked in public media, those who listened would comment they liked the various perspectives offered in our coverage. Another way to think about it - the liberal sources are known for their journalism. Fox News is known for pundits.

Here's a graphic from Pew that puts this in perspective....

More Turnover at NPR News

According to a report by the Associated Press, Dick Meyer is leaving NPR news for the BBC.
Ellen Weiss left in January.
There's more in the Washington Post.

A Call For Fox To Help Fund NPR

An Op-Ed piece in the Washington Post by Steve Coll calls for commercial broadcasters and cable outlets, like Fox News, to fund public broadcasting. The idea is not new. I've heard the idea discussed since the early 8o's when I was studying Mass Communications. The idea is, a set aside from commercial broadcasters would be the best way to fund public broadcasting. This would help ensure Public Broadcasting's future and help it fulfill its mission to serve under-served communities.

Public Radio is grappling with this issue. Despite growth to about 30 million listeners in the past decade, public radio stations are looking for ways to increase diversity in its audience. Steve Coll included in his article the BBC's handling of criticism that its coverage was left leaning. BBC managers studied their coverage and did not find they leaned in any particular direction but, did find they were not covering stories that appealed to conservatives. According to Coll, the BBC solved their problem by broadening their coverage. Coll recommends a similar self-examination for NPR.

At the recent PRPD Conference in Denver, a panel that included representatives from the CBC talked about how they broadened their coverage to be more inclusive. (Panel: The Next Step Up: Inclusiveness -  Farai Chideya (Moderator); Keith Woods, NPR; Kashmir Birk, Bioss; Susanne Marjetti, CBC)   The CBC deliberately became more inclusive in their coverage to reflect the diversity of their communities served.  The panel members from the CBC their audience grew. Not just numbers, but also in diversity.

I strongly recommend this piece. There are many more ideas that can be drawn on to build a stronger Public Broadcasting system.


Steve Coll, a former managing editor of The Washington Post and a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner, is president of the New America Foundation.

Calls for Changes At the BBC

Public Television in the United States isn't the only television broadcast entity worried about its aging audience. There are similar concerns at the BBC. "The centre-right Policy Exchange said the BBC should cut the amount it spends on sports rights, popular entertainment and shows for 16 to 35-year-olds." Read more at the BBC.