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Critical Thinking

Assessment of Evidence

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  • Evaluating Internet Sources by Lydia M. Olson Library Administration. "There are six (6) criteria that should be applied when evaluating any Web site:
    • authority,
    • accuracy,
    • objectivity,
    • currency,
    • coverage, and
    • appearance.
    • For each criterion, there are several questions to be asked. The more questions you can answer "yes", the more likely the Web site is one of quality." (From the site.)
    • The site also provides links for checking the accuracy of news..

  • Stanley Baran's (2021) 11th Edition of Introduction to Mass Communication: Media Literacy and Culture presents a number of media literacy skills based on media literacy (pp. 23-24). The sixth media literacy skill is "The ability to think critically about media messages, no matter how credible their sources." He recommends assessing the following criteria of media news:

  • Media Literacy through Critical Thinking. Student Workbook by Chris M. Worsnop. Edited by KC Lynch. This is a PDF workbook that leads students through activities to teach key media literacy skills and knowledge. It is aimed at a younger audience, but has fun examples of visual illusions and useful charting exercises. The table of contents indicates the skills and concepts covered:
    • Taking a second look (they say it is the most important media literacy skill.)
    • Media texts have purposes and target audiences.
    • Key Concept #1: All media are carefully wrapped packages.
    • Key Concept #2: Media construct versions of reality.
    • Key Concept #3: Media are interpreted through individual lenses.
    • Key Concept #4: Media are about money.
    • Key Concept #5: Media promote agenda.
    • Personal response to a media text.
    • Practice analyzing, interpreting, and evaluating media texts.

  • Fake: Searching for Truth in the Age of Misinformation (2020). A video and web resource produced by Connecticut Public Television covering media literacy and the ability to judge the accuracy of information.
    • The site has a good PDF sheet on determining the quality of information. You can download it here.
    • The site also presents six video segments on the following topics:
      • ONE: Smoke and Mirrors. While attention has focused on foreign attempts to influence US election results, actors like Russia and Iran are not the only worries. Domestic actors may pose an even bigger threat.
      • TWO: FACT-CHECKING. If the 2016 election was any indication, professional journalists need to do better when it comes to reporting the news. Readers are the first line of defense against the dissemination of bogus reports. So, how do you spot a fake? Context is key.
      • THREE: A POWERFUL TOOL. Media literacy is the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, create, and act using all forms of communication. It has become a necessity in modern culture, providing powerful tools to decipher meaning and be discriminating as we engage with technology. It’s also imperative to ensuring children’s safety in uncharted media territories, like the digital realm.
      • FOUR: THE ENEMY WITHIN. Gun control. Immigration. Abortion. Many of the world’s most pressing disputes have been labeled eternally enigmatic. Are we meant to just surrender, allowing problems to exponentially worsen because society’s brilliant minds can’t reach consensus? Too many factors, too many viewpoints, too many arguments. But what if there were right answers? What if they’ve been right here, under our noses all this time, and we’ve been too busy trying to prove ourselves right to notice?
      • FIVE: FAKE NEWS, REAL MONEY. Tech giants like Facebook and Google are increasingly under scrutiny for supporting and benefiting from the “fake news economy.” Meanwhile, legitimate local news organizations, which often rely on similar ad-supported infrastructure for their livelihoods, are suffering. What is the role of consumers and advertisers in this complex ecosystem?
      • SIX: HUMAN vs. MACHINE. Although we have not yet realized the true potential of artificial intelligence, the future holds strong possibilities for more sophisticated tools to harness the power of AI, big data, and machine learning to stop fake news. As the volume of data grows, so does the chance of handling misinformation that challenges both the machine and human ability to uncover the truth.


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