Evaluating Misinformation
An objective system for assessing and weighing news
What we need to discuss is HOW to get it done.
This paper is intended to be the beginning of a discussion of HOW to help people evaluate news and information, not just in the political realm. It is only a starting point. I hope to start a community that discusses this topic without mention of any political issues. This is a system that stands independent of opinions.
Further, my goal is to create a system that can be applied to historical events as a way of testing its value. After all, if there is nothing new under the sun, the system we create for evaluating misinformation should work in a 19th century context as well as a 21st.
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The Proposed List
This list is meant to be a beginning of a discussion about how to evaluate information. Please read and share your thoughts.
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In any legal filing, has the provider of news ever claimed to be a character that is not meant to be taken at face value?
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Has the provider of news ever issued a correction to one of their news reports?
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Is the news provider a Repeater or Reporter? A Reporter has done the field interviews and fact-checked the news themselves. A Repeater just repeats what a Reporter has said, without having done the interviews, fact-checking or writing. Often this accompanies opinion or analysis. While valuable, it will not make a Repeater into a Reporter.
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Does the news provider claim to be “for entertainment purposes only”?
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