Hoe de betrouwbaarheid van informatie checken?
- Authors
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2024
- Source
- Ghent University Institutional Archive
- Keywords
- Language
- Dutch
- License
- Green
- External links
Abstract
How can voters distinguish between reliable information and fake news, commercials, political propaganda? They should apply the scientific approach: a) consult the primary sources, which must be detailed, and open to everyone; b) the authors’s names should be included, their function and institute, and financial sources. Nowadays primary sources are available on the internet: the programs of political parties, the parliamentary accounts, the decisions of governments and city councils. In contrast, the classical and social media omit their primary sources, are often anonymous, and mix facts with opinions/commentaries; often negative critiques of politics dominate. Vocabulary used implies negativity: “millions”, “billions” are short (budget), or too many (taxes; illness; pensions); people are “illegal”, some governments are "terrorist". The media also omit essential aspects (who decided, who bombed), while in science this is not permitted. However, consulting online the multiple and separate primary sources takes time and perseverance. Some decisions are not found in the political programs. Media “news” and deceit are difficult to avoid.
