ENGL 1102 - Abbott (Online) - Fall 2023

TASKS for PART 2: Locating and Evaluating News Articles

The second task is all about locating a news source and making sure it's appropriate for your project. This is often called "Source evaluation", and is a critical tool when you use any type of information you find on the open web.

This content covers all types of websites, and should be applied to any news website you find!

What to do:

• Watch the 5Ws video.
• Review the About the 5Ws page to understand the questions to ask when encountering internet sources. 
• Apply those questions when searching online for your news sources.
• Use the news links provided, or search out your own sources! (In either case, make sure you evaluate your article before submitting it!)

Introducing the 5W Method

What are the 5Ws?

• They are a handy set of tips to guide your evaluation in order to determine if a source is reliable, credible, and authoritative.

How do you use them?

• Ask the suggested questions found on the About the 5Ws page. How you answer them should help you determine if your source is a good one.
• The 5Ws Quick Chart is your handy one-stop-shop which can serve as a reference tool!

PRO TIPS for applying the 5Ws to news websites!

Here are some specific questions to ask based on the 5Ws:

1. WHAT: Is this an *opinion* piece, or is it reporting factual information?
2. WHO: Can you tie this website to a broader news organization, like a printed newspaper or a TV station? 
3. WHEN: How old is the article? News information should be recent, ideally within the last month or two.

Make sure you look at the other question prompts on the "About the 5Ws" tab!