Reading the News
One Interview Cannot Tell You What Everyone Thinks
Read a person’s account as evidence of their experience while checking what supports broader claims about a neighbourhood, profession or country.
CONTEXT FOR EVERYDAY CURIOSITY
Journal
Reading the News
An Embargo Sets a Publication Time, Not a Verdict on the Evidence
Understand why several outlets publish the same research at once, and separate an embargo’s timing rule from the strength of the underlying evidence.
Media Literacy
A News Photograph Can Be Genuine and Still Have the Wrong Caption
Check a news image’s date, place and original caption before accepting the claim attached to it, even when the photograph itself appears authentic.
Reading the News
Read the Legend Before Trusting a Colour-Coded Map
A dark patch on a map can represent several different things. Check the measure, colour scale, missing data and boundaries before sharing it.
Reading the News
A Shortened Quote Needs the Sentence Around It
Check a shortened quotation against its surrounding words so an omission does not silently change the speaker’s meaning.
Reading the News
Provisional Figures Need a Date and a Route to the Revision
Provisional statistics can be useful without being final. Keep their release date, revision status, and comparison series visible when reading the news.
Media Literacy
A Press Release and a Report Can Describe the Same Event Differently
Read an announcement and the reporting around it by separating the issuer’s claims, independently checked facts, unanswered questions and interpretation.
Media Literacy
A Correction Can Make a News Story More Trustworthy
Read a news correction by identifying the changed claim, its effect on the story and whether the publisher explains the revision clearly.
Numbers in Context
A Percentage Needs Its Denominator Before It Becomes a Headline
Check what a percentage is a percentage of before comparing headlines, survey results or changes across groups of different sizes.