It is difficult to claim that all media sources are credible, which is also why we should constantly evaluate the credibility of the information we get from media sources. Most of the time, credibility relies heavily on the source and the content of the claim from the reporting. As mentioned by Moore & Parker, “there are two arenas in which we assess credibility: the first is that of claims themselves; the second is the claims’ sources.” (Moore, B & Parker, R., 2021). So, first, we must examine the claim to see whether it is a fact or an opinion and whether it is supported by evidence. Second, we should always question the source of credibility; by doing so, we acknowledge from where and who is supplying the information, the person’s experience and degree of knowledge on the issue, the relevance this individual brings to the claim, and any personal bias this person may have.

Anything political, finance-related, or concerning international news has a goal: to persuade and engage the audience in believing a specific agenda. For example, a media source such as a podcast by your favorite influencer stating that everyone should invest in crypto such as Ethereum coin because it will skyrocket in the next three months. This may lead you to believe that this source is credible because they have made a lot of money investing in the coin, but they have a hidden agenda and want people to pump the coin by buying in, and they start pulling out because they hold high shares. Other topics, such as weather, sports, and amusement, are more credible since they have no hidden objective or aim; the purpose is to educate and entertain the audience. For example, your phone’s weather app is not always accurate, but for the most part, the app is credible and predicts weather changes very well. There is no hidden agenda behind it because its sole purpose is to inform you; there is no gain in informing people about climate change. These claims are straightforward claims and can easily be assessed whether or not the source is reputable by observation, such as looking outside to see if it is raining when the weather app indicates rain. “Our own observations provide our most reliable source of information about the world.” (Moore, B & Parker, R., 2021).

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