Source Evaluation
📋 What it is
A credible source is knowledgeable, independent, and can be checked — not just confident or popular.
🗣️ Coach says
Not every source is equal. Ask: does this person actually KNOW (expertise)? Do they have a reason to spin it (independence)? Can I CHECK it elsewhere? A confident stranger online fails all three.
🧠 Memory hook
Credible = knows it + no axe to grind + checkable. Confidence isn’t proof.
😂 Giggle
What do you call a reporter who falls asleep on the job?
A snooze anchor!
😲 Whoa!
Journalists try to confirm important facts with at least TWO independent sources before reporting them.
✅ Quick check: Name two things that make a source credible beyond just sounding confident.
Say your answer out loud first — then reveal.
Real expertise/knowledge, independence (no hidden motive), and being verifiable/checkable (any two).
Judging sources is the survival skill of the information age.
🧪 Try it! (2 minutes)
Pick a claim online and check whether a second, independent source confirms it.