News Evaluation Tutorial

Introduction

Let’s evaluate this article using RADAR to determine its reliability as a news source worthy of your attention.

Rationale

Why was this article written?

Rationale

Why was this article written?

This is a commercial website

• Notice the .com ending to the website URL

The website's owner makes money when someone clicks on certain sections of this website.

• Notice the advertisements

Rationale

Does the author use strong emotional language?

Rationale

Does the author use strong emotional language?

Several instances exist of emotionally charged section headings and outrageous statements.

• "Salmon makes you fat"
• "It’s eating chicken poop"
• "It’s tainted with Agent Orange"

Authority

What are the author’s credentials?

Authority

What are the author’s credentials?

The “About” page on the author’s website at http://www.zerobelly.com/about explains that the author’s knowledge of belly fat comes from an emotional connection he made between his father’s death and belly fat. He also claims to have self-studied belly fat by traveling “the globe reporting on fat—from launching fitness and nutrition magazines in Europe and Africa to covering the habits of Olympic athletes in Beijing.”

By conducting a Google search for the author’s name, David Zinczenko, it is easy to find his LinkedIn profile. According to his LinkedIn profile, Mr. Zinczenko has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Moravian College in Political Science and Journalism, not a degree in nutrition or medicine.

Date

When was the information published or last updated?

Date

When was the information published or last updated?

There is no publication date or last updated date listed on the web page, making it impossible to verify when this information was published.

Accuracy

Are there statements you know to be false?

Accuracy

Are there statements you know to be false?

Verify an unlikely story by finding a reputable outlet reporting the same thing.

• The Washington State Department of Health provides information about salmon concerns, but debunks many of the assertions of the eatthis.com website. This government web article offers references, allowing readers to investigate the science behind the claims being made in the article.

Was the item published by a peer-reviewed journal, academic press, or other reliable publisher?

• No

Relevance

Does the information answer your research question?
Does the information meet the stated requirements for the assignment?

Relevance

Does the information answer your research question?

• If some of these claims were correct, it would probably be reported on in other media.

Does the information meet the stated requirements for the assignment?

• Watch out! Many assignments require sources written by experts and published in scholarly journals. 

Certificate

Please enter your name and email address to retrieve a copy of your completed quiz.

You can enter multiple email addresses separated by commas. If you are doing this for a class, you may need to enter your instructor's email address also.

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