Blog #6: Fake news?

Everyone has a motive. Whether it is for murdering a person or publishing an online article, there is always a reason behind people doing what they do. When you are scrolling online or listening to the news, it is important to think about the motive of the people or organization behind that information. What is their purpose or perspective? What they say can change drastically depending on who their intended audience is, whether they are biased toward one side of an argument, or if they are trying to sell or promote something. It is common practice to listen to the news from multiple sources- some left-leaning, some right-leaning- in order to get an accurate idea of what is actually going on, because all sources let their opinions seep into the information, even if not entirely intentional.

Similar to the above point, it is just a good idea to know who it is that you are getting your information from. First off, this can tell you a bit about their motive or purpose in sharing the information. But also, where do they get their information from? What if their source is biased? When finding information online, check to see if your source's sources are cited and explore those citations to see if that information is authentic as well! It is natural for us to do this in real life conversations (you will probably take your doctor's word over your classmate's when it comes to your health), so why not apply this same principle to your online interactions as well?