Why So Much Online Information Sounds Right and Still Isn’t True

Описание: We are surrounded by misinformation, biased reporting, and content designed to trigger emotion rather than understanding. Most people were never explicitly taught how to slow down, evaluate sources, or recognize when information is being manipulated. In this video, Dr. Whitney Kosters, a professor of English and writing breaks down how to spot misinformation and identify subtle red flags that signal fake or misleading information. The focus is on how credibility is performed online, why emotionally charged content spreads, and what readers need to notice before trusting or sharing what they see.

This is part one of a two part lecture on media literacy and research skills. Part two focuses on how to research effectively online and evaluate sources with confidence. If reading the news, scrolling social media, or doing research ever feels confusing or exhausting, this video explains why and what to do next. Watch it here:

This lecture connects directly to another video on the channel that looks at how these same tactics show up on social media, where memes, short videos, and viral posts often function as arguments without looking like they are trying to persuade anyone. Watch it here:    • The Algorithm Is Writing Your Reality: How...  

#misinformation #medialiteracy #criticalthinking #fakenews #informationliteracy #researchskills #onlineinformation

If writing is the part that panics you most, download my 30-Minute Essay Fix Guide. It helps you write a passable essay in under 30 minutes: https://whitneykoster.gumroad.com/l/w...

Check out my playlist on "Lectures on Writing, Rhetoric, and Research" here:    • Lectures on Writing, Research, & Rhetoric  

Subscribe for more literary analysis, writing advice, and audiobook content.    / @drwhitneykosters  

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Copy and paste this handout:

Evaluating a Source with the CRAAP method

Questions you should ask yourself when determining CURRENCY, or the timeliness of the information—whether it is current or out-of-date for your topic.
1. When was this information published or posted and when it was last revised and updated?

2. Is there an available bibliography so that you may consult the sources that the writer used?

3. If you’re looking at an online source, are there working links that you can access?

4. A good source will provide a paper trail that you can easily follow and access. Can you do so, and if you can’t, why is there a lack of transparency? What does this suggest about your source?

Questions you should ask yourself when determining RELEVANCE, which considers how the source relates to your purpose.
1. What are you trying to do with a source?

2. Does the source fit your needs?

Questions you should ask yourself when determining AUTHORITY, or the source of the information.

1. Can you identify the author’s credentials and qualifications to write on this subject?

2. Is the author associated with a particular position on the subject?

3. Is contact information, such as a publisher or an email address available to you, and are there references to other works written by this author?

4. How reputable is the publisher? Is it a publisher known for content that is driven by gossip, advertising, sensationalism, or propaganda?

5. If your source is a web site, who is the sponsor?

6. Is the web site maintained by an organization, a government agency, an interest group, or an individual?

Questions you should ask yourself when determining ACCURACY, the reliability, truthfulness, and correctness of the informational content.

1. Where does this information come from, and is it supported by real evidence?

2. Has the information been reviewed or refereed and by whom?

3. Can you verify any of the information in another source or from personal knowledge?

4. Is the web site legitimate?

5. Who is the author and what is their purpose?

6. Does the language or tone seem biased or is it generally presented pretty neutrally?

7. How professionally is the material written? Are there spelling, grammatical, or typographical errors? If so, how can we be sure information was scrutinized for accuracy if basic mechanics, like punctuation were not?

Questions you should ask yourself when determining PURPOSE, or the reason the information exists.
1. What is the purpose of the information? Teach? Inform? Entertain? Persuade?

2. Do the authors/sponsors make their intentions or purpose clear?

3. Is the information fact? opinion? propaganda?

4. Does the point of view appear objective and impartial? Are there political, ideological, cultural, religious, institutional, or personal biases?