
Web Literacy Assignment


Providing a statistic taken from a survey showing opposition


Successful Websites
The three examples shown above are just a few of the many credible newsites out there, thanks to their sourcing and credible research.
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The New York Times is one of the most read publications out there, whether it's through a physical newspaper, online, or on their mobile app. The screenshots that are shown are of a recent story discussing the removal of DACA, and whether or not there will be negative effects on the American economy. The reason I chose this article is because it offers both perspectives on whether DACA recipients really steal jobs away from Americans or don't. It provides statistics from credible sources and surveys, that way we know the article is not bias. The photos used are also properly attributed to the correct source. I included a screenshot of the publication's history just to show how long it has been around. A newspaper that's been around for over 150 years is quite hard to come across, but it shows just how much trust the New York Times has established with its audience over the years. It also highly stresses diversity and inclusiveness to demonstrate how dedicated it is to provide news to a global audience, and offer multiple perspectives.
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The second example used comes from NPR, or National Public Radio. Like the New York Times, NPR has a huge audience and discusses a multitude of different topics. One thing that stood out to be on NPR's website is the fact that they include a whole list of their sources at the end of the story, something that is very rare. They too offer opposing viewpoints within their articles in order to avoid bias. The fact that they have been around since the first days of broadcast back in the 1920s shows the long line of established trust between them and the public.
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BBC is the third credible website demonstrated. Their correspondents seem to have certain beats that they are familiar with. For instance, the writer of the article used above is an education correspondent, showing that he has a strong knowledge base of the subject. This article uses statistics from well-known sources such a UNICEF in order to stress the importance of the issues at hand.
Non-Credible Websites

Satirical news (mainly for conservatives)

Fake news article stating that former First Daughter Sasha Obama was removed from her school in handcuffs.

Satirical story saying that President Trump made a massive donation of Play-Doh to Texas flood victims

Satirical news (mainly for conservatives)
The above photos are examples of satirical news websites, or news sources that are published for entertainment purposes only. Many articles that I came across on these websites had author names that were obviously fake, and you could see that there was no attribution whatsoever for the photos.
The first example I listed is conservative satirical news website America's Last Line of Defense. I included a satirical story about Sasha Obama being arrested at her school. As you can tell underneath the headline, the author's name reads "Little Egg Salad Finger Sandwiches," an obviously fake name. The photos have no sources, and the articles demonstrates a bias against the Obama family. The second story I included about a Muslim bus driver expressed opinion, saying, "Wow! Muslims are getting scary these days!" The use of exclamation points doesn't exactly showcase facts.
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As American as Apple Pie is the second example of a satirical news website that is also supposed to appeal to conservatives. As with the previous example, the author's name is fake and the photos shown have no credible source.
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The final example is Empire News. The above article is a good example of satire - it says that President Trump made a massive donation of Play-Doh to Texas flood victims, some thing that is obviously false. One can tell that the photo is photoshopped, and once again, no credit is given.
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The one good things about these websites is that they offer disclaimers stating that they are purely satirical and that any names used are fictitious. However, not all satirical or fake news websites offer a disclaimer, potentially leading people to believe that that news is real or credible. Providing one would help lower the spread of false information.