Bio 131: Biology in the News (Barton)

Determining whether a news source is credible starts with understanding the type of news you are seeing, and what the purpose behind it is.

Types of news:

• News/Straight Reporting 
  • Purpose is to inform
  • Example: An article reporting facts of a recent event; "White House says Colombia agrees to take deported migrants after Trump tariff showdown," Associated Press.
• Analysis
  • Purpose is to explain and interpret
  • Example: An article reporting facts and interpretation; "The TikTok ban highlights what Congress hasn't done," POLITICO.
• Opinion
  • Purpose is to persuade
  • Example: An article expressing someone's perspective on an event; "States Don't Have a Right to Exist. People Do." New York Times.
• Entertainment
  • Purpose is to entertain
  • Example: A comedy news program like The Daily Show or SNL's Weekend Update.
• Advertising
  • Purpose is to sell
  • Example: A company sponsors an article that relates to the products they sell or is outwardly marketing a product; "ExpressVPN Review 2024: A Premium VPN That Continues to Innovate," CNET Magazine.
• Raw information
  • Purpose is to document
  • Example: reports, studies, data, videos, photos, audio-recordings, etc.
• Propaganda/misinformation
  • Purpose is to provoke
  • Example: An article presenting false, misleading or inaccurate information; "Gavin Newsom Cut $100M From Fire Prevention Budget Before California Fires," Newsweek was fact-checked by FactCheck.org: "Competing Claims on California Fire Budget."

Credible news outlets strive to meet the seven standards of quality journalism set by the Society of Professional Journalists. You can analyze a news article for these standards to determine its credibility:

1. Multiple credible sources
   • What it means: Credible news will always use credible sources (experts, a peer-reviewed study, etc.), and will always disclose and link to those sources.
   • What you should do: Look out for mentions of a news article's sources. If it credits a scientific study, look up the study to see if it's peer-reviewed, written by experts, and supports the article's claim. If it credits an expert, look up that person to learn more about them.
2. Avoidance of bias
   • What it means: Credible news aims for neutrality by presenting facts and giving necessary context. It will not seem like it is taking a side or persuading you to take a side.
   • What you should do: Be aware of tone and word choice in the news articles you are reading. 
3. Documentation
   • What it means: Credible news will always be based on documentation (reports, studies, data, videos, photos, audio-recordings, etc.) of an event, and will openly cite and share this documentation in the article.
   • What you should do: Look out for mentions of a news article's documentation. When possible, look at the documentation in its original context by linking from the article or searching for it online. 
4. Fairness
   • What it means: Credible news will always treat sources and subjects with appropriate respect, and will give them a chance to share their points of view or respond to allegations.
   • What you should do: Be aware of the tone and word choice a news article uses to describe its sources/subjects, and look for multiple points of view or responses from subjects in the article.  
5. Verification
   • What it means: Credible news will always have multiple people verify facts and details before publishing an article.
   • What you should do: Avoid reading news from organizations that are not open about their fact-checking procedures, or that have been found to publish unverified information.
6. Balance
   • What it means: Credible news will always represent multiple sides of a story while maintaining neutrality.
   • What you should do: Be aware of how many sides are being presented in a news article, and the tone and word choice with which they are presented.
7. Context
   • What it means: Credible news will always provide appropriate context in an article to make the facts clear, fair, and accurate.
   • What you should do: Be aware of how a news article frames its story, and look out for any relevant background information that is shared.

• Newsletter and email subscriptions from elected officials*
• University news services
• City or county government websites
• Public broadcasting
• Community groups/neighborhood websites*
• Local TV network affiliates and local newspapers
• Nonprofit news organizations

A lot of major news publications have a science section, but here are a few science news publications available through the library:

These media bias resources can give you an idea of the political biases and credibility ratings of many news publications, but they have drawbacks as well: they often conflict with each other, ratings may only be based off of a handful of news stories, and they present fringe propaganda publications alongside credible fact-based journalism which potentially legitimizes the former as a viable news outlet.

Pick one of the news articles below. As you read it, try to determine what type of news you think it is, and how many of the 7 standards of quality journalism it includes.