“We tend to think that we have rational relationships to information, but we don’t. We have emotional relationships to information, which is why the most effective disinformation draws on our underlying fears and worldviews….We’re less likely to be critical of information that reinforces our worldview or taps into our deep-seated emotional responses.” - Claire Wardle
How do we know which sources of information to trust?
These questions are becoming increasingly difficult to answer, and even more so as “disinformation that is designed to provoke an emotional reaction can flourish in these spaces” (Wardle).
A 2020 study from Project Information Literacy confirms that the way information is delivered today—with opinion and propaganda mingled with traditional news sources, and with algorithms highlighting sources based on engagement rather than quality—has left many college students concerned about the trustworthiness of online content. One student noted that “it’s not that we’re lacking credible information. It’s that we’re drowning in like a sea of all these different points out there” (Head et al. 20). There are 4 key things to do to quickly make a decision about whether or not a source is worthy of your attention - "S.I.F.T.” your sources - Stop. Investigate the source. Find better coverage. Trace quotes, claims, and media to their original source..
Example of "better coverage." - Wisconsin Public Radio

What are algorithms?
Algorithms are step-by-step instructions computers follow to make automated decisions and predictions about people (you!), including their preferences, attributes, and behaviors. Algorithms power nearly everything we see online. They determine the content many of us interact with daily, such as Google, YouTube, Instagram, Netflix, Facebook, Amazon, Twitter, and Spotify.
Feel free to ignore the algorithms, YOU choose what YOU want to see!
Source: Open Educational Resource (OER)
Introduction to College Research by Walter D. Butler, Aloha Sargent, and Kelsey Smith is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.
