Critical thinking skills are essential for students to evaluate information sources, not just for school but in life and their careers. It is important to be aware of biases like confirmation bias, where people favor information confirming their beliefs, and filter bubbles created by personalized algorithms online. When evaluating news media sources, signs of bias include omitting information, taking facts out of context, sensationalism, and misleading headlines. To combat biases, people should consider different viewpoints, interpret facts and statistics differently, identify assumptions, seek alternative reporting on issues, and use fact checking sites to corroborate information from unknown sources.

1. Critical Evaluating Skills

2. Information is Everywhere!
But not all of it is reliable or appropriate for college level research!
Evaluating sources is a SKILL that you must develop,
not only as a student,
but for life as a professional in your chosen field
and a responsible citizen of the world.

3. Confirmation Bias
The natural human tendency to: search for,
interpret, favor, and recall information
in a way that confirms our pre-existing
beliefs, while giving disproportionately less
consideration to alternative possibilities.1
Filter Bubbles
Created by algorithms, these personalized
filters dictate what we see online.
They are based on various elements, such as
our search history, the websites we visit, the
posts we comment on, our location, and
more.2
Being aware of these concepts can help
minimize their threat to your critical thinking skills.
College Libraries Ontario (2023). Evaluate Your Resources. The Learning Portal.
https://tlp-lpa.ca/research/evaluate-for-quality
Plous, Scott (1993). The Psychology of Judgment and Decision Making. p. 233

4. Bias in Media
Many sources will have some form of mild bias. This does not mean we can not use the source.
If we can identify and acknowledge the bias, we can use the source appropriately.
Be aware:
• What topics are reported on frequently and prominently, what issues are given scant or no
attention?
• Word choice can be a subtle way of influencing reader’s interpretation of a factual article
• A source you normally trust could have a ‘blind spot’ on certain topics
• Notice what ‘experts’ are quoted, and if they fairly represent the viewpoint of their opponent
• Simplifying a debate as simply ‘left vs. right’ can obscure important details and complexity

5. Bias in NEWS MEDIA
Many mainstream news media are owned by corporations, or are dependent on advertising revenue;
therefore, they have a vested interest in promoting certain views and pleasing certain demographic groups…
Some Signs of Strong Bias:
• Omitting information, only presenting one side of an issue
• Facts, statistics & quotes taken out of context or interpreted narrowly
• Using sensationalism and extreme language to provoke emotions
• Name-calling, unflattering pictures
• Misleading headlines
• Double-standards on lines of race, gender and class
• Stating opinions and assumptions as facts
University of Washington Libraries. (2022). Detecting Bias in the News.
https://guides.lib.uw.edu/research/evaluate/bias

6. Combatting Bias
• Re-read the article from an opposite viewpoint (play ‘devil’s advocate’)
• Try to interpret facts & statistics in a different way
• Distinguish causality from correlation
• Identify any assumptions that are not sourced, yet are used to build an
argument
• Seek out the referenced articles to see if they are being misrepresented
• Find another article with a different viewpoint
• Consider the source (author, publisher)

7. Reading Laterally
Investigate the source:
• What are others telling you about the source?
Go Upstream:
• Trace the information back to the original reporting source, then assess its credibility
Look for trusted sources:
• Use fact-checking sites or traditional news sources to corroborate
Practice “click restraint”
• Examine the URL and other information snippets before you click on a search result
College Libraries Ontario (2023). Evaluate Your Resources. The Learning Portal.
https://tlp-lpa.ca/research/evaluate-for-quality

8. Library.flemingcollege.ca
Library@flemingcollege.ca
June 2023