Step 1
Scan the article. Try to notice the following:
- What kind of language is the article using? Does it seem very factual, or does it use a lot of emotional language? A mix of both? (Note: neither is inherently good or bad. The point is to notice it so that you can consider it as part of your overall assessment.)
- How many times are people directly quoted? Do the quotes seem to be in context, or is there a chance that the writer has used them out of context to prove their own point?
- Similarly, how many "facts" presented by the writer seem to have a source? Does it seem like this person did their research? This could include having studied the topic, or having interviewed experts or people who have experience in the topic.
- Can you tell what the author's point of view is? Do you think they might be biased one way or the other? (Note: bias is not inherently bad. We all have many different biases that are shaped by our education and lived experience. The point here is not to discredit the writer for having a bias, rather to notice it so we can take it into consideration as part of our assessment).
Step 2
Think about the writer. How much can you learn about this person? What information does the article itself share or link to about the person's expertise or identity? Are they qualified to be writing this article? How much more can you find out by Googling them?
Step 3
Think about the organization that produced or published the article. Try to find an "About Us" or "Our Ethics" type of page on their website. Can you tell if this organization has a particular worldview or political perspective?
Step 4
Think about the overall website in which the article is found. Examples of things you can ask yourself:
- How many ads do you see? If a website is full of ads, that's not inherently bad - but think about how that might change your understanding of the website's purpose.
- How can you tell whether this is a Canadian news site or not?
- Does the website itself have any other notable design features or links that would be worth thinking more carefully about?
Step 5
Taking all the things you've noticed into account, would you rate this as a quality resource? Your answer might depend on what your own goal is.
Then think: if I use this source, what other kind of source should I pair it with so as to portray a more complete picture of the topic?
