How Credible Is That Web Site Anyway?

As we talked about with Wikipedia, there's a whole lot of information on the Internet, which as journalists we like. The more information the better, right?

The trick is making sure that we sift through all those Web sites and make sure we're only using credible sources of information.

Here's a short check list of questions to ask yourself as you train your critical minds:

Authority:
Think about who or what runs the Web site. Is it a corporation? A non-profit group? An individual? A government agency? The answer will help you decide how much or whether to trust what's there.
Is it clear who wrote the information? Some anonymous writing on the Web has less credibility than a bylined or signed article.
Are there names and phone numbers for contacts at the Web site? A lot of times you get your first information from the site, but do your real reporting in conversation.

Accuracy :
Are sources for the information on the Web site identified? If the author of the site simply states everything as fact, but doesn't say where those facts came from, it's a little less solid.
Is the information on the site free of grammatical, spelling and other errors? A sloppy site suggests less credibility.

Objectivity:
Is there a point-of-view to the Web site -- political, religious, corporate, etc. If the music site says this is the best band of the year -- and it's a site run by the record label -- well, you tell me. If it says the XXX political party is corrupt and it's run by the YYY political party, same thing. It's the old saying: Consider the source....

Currency:
Is the material fresh or dated? Look for dates to check when the information was posted. If it's more than a year or so old, it's probably not been updated much, and thus has less value to you. Look for something that's more current.

Those are just a few questions to keep in mind as you're trolling the Web. Remember: one of the key things you will learn as a journalist is to have a healthy skepticism about the information provided you. Don't just take things at face value. And in the case of the Internet, don't just accept information from a Web site because it looks like it might fit your needs. Check it out thoroughly.