Topic

Media and
Information Sources
 Reliability of Information. Information is said to be
reliable if it can be verified and evaluated. It also refers to
the trustworthiness of the source in evaluating the
reliability of information.
 Accuracy of Information. Accuracy refers to the
closeness of the report to the actual data. Measurement
of accuracy varies, depending on the type of information
being evaluated. Forecasts are said to be accurate if the
report is similar to the actual data. Financial information is
considered accurate if the values are correct, properly
classified, and presented
 Value of Information. Information is said to be of value
if it aids the user in making or improving decisions.
 Authority of the Source. Much of the information we
gather daily do not come from a primary source but are
passed on through secondary sources such as writers,
reporters and the like. Sources with an established
expertise on the subject matter are considered as having
sound authority on the subject.
 Timeliness. Reliability, accuracy and value of
information may vary based on the time it was produced
or acquired. While a piece of information may have been
found accurate, reliable and valuable during the time it
was produced, it may become irrelevant and inaccurate
with the passing of time (making it less valuable). Other
information may be timeless, proven to be the same in
reliability, accuracy and value throughout history.
LIBRARIES
a. Types of libraries - Libraries
are often classified in 4
groups, namely: academic,
public, school and special.
These libraries may be either
digital or physical in form.
LIBRARIES
b. Skills in accessing information from libraries -
Due to the wealth of information in a library, it is
important to know the following:
• the access tool to use
• how the information being accessed may be
classified
• the depth of details required (i.e. some
libraries provide only an abstract of the topic)
• more detailed information requiring
membership or some conformity to set rules of
the source (e.g. databases)
LIBRARIES
c. Characteristics of libraries in terms
of reliability, accuracy and value
Libraries of published books are often
considered highly reliable, accurate,
and valuable. Books and documents
from dominant sources are often
peer reviewed. ISSN or ISBN
registration ensures that standards
were followed in producing these
materials.
THE INTERNET
a. Information found on the
internet
b. Characteristics of internet
information in terms of reliability,
accuracy, value, timeliness and
authority of the source
c. Realities of the Internet
THE INTERNET
d. Information found on the Internet
may be quite varied in form and
content. Thus, it is more difficult to
determine its reliability and
accuracy. Accessing information
on the internet is easy but requires
more discipline to check and
validate. Factual and fictitious data
are often merged together. Sources
always have to be validated.
Skills in Determining the Reliability of Information
a. Check the author. The author’s
willingness to be identified is a good
indication of reliability.
b. Check the date of publication or of
update. While the information may be true,
it may not be reliable if it is outdated and
may have lost relevance.
c. Check for citations. Reliable authors
have the discipline of citing sources of their
information.
Skills in Determining the Reliability of Information
d. Check the domain or owner of the site or
page. The domains .edu and .gov are
reserved for academic institutions and the
government, respectively. Information from
such sites are presented with caution and
are usually well-grounded. Site owners may
have an agenda that affects the manner by
which information is presented.
e. Check the site design and the writing
style. Credible sources take time to make
their information accessible and easy to
comprehend.
Skills in Determining Accurate Information
a. Look for facts.
b. Cross-reference with other sources to
check for consistency.
c. Determine the reason for writing and
publishing the information. Check if the
author is objective or leaning heavily on a
certain point of view.
d. Check for advertising. Advertisers may
use related information to market their
product.
Alternative Media
a. Current popular alternative media
b. Rise of alternative media and information
c. Other alternative forms of
communication and distribution have
become popular. These include social
media, blogs and flash mob performances.
These alternative forms provide greater
freedom and power to ordinary individuals
and are a quicker way of distributing
information. The downside is that a lot of
information being passed around is biased
and inaccurate.
Indigenous Media
• Indigenous means native, local,
originating or produced naturally in a
particular region
• Indigenous knowledge is unique to a
specific culture or society; it is not
written down.
• Indigenous communication is the
transmission of information through
local channels or forms. It is a means
by which culture is preserved, handed
down and adapted.
Indigenous Media
• Indigenous media and information
refers to the original information
created by a local group of people.
This also refers to content about
indigenous peoples that may be
distributed through dominant forms of
media or through forms of
communication unique to their
people group.
Importance of Indigenous Media and Information
• Popular media cannot reach some rural
areas. While print, broadcast and new
media have a wide reach, there are still
areas that these forms of media have not
reached.
• Indigenous media and information are
highly credible because they are near the
source and are seldom circulated for profit.
• Indigenous media are channels for
change, education and development
because of its direct access to local
channels.
Importance of Indigenous Media and Information
• Ignoring indigenous media and information
can result in development and education
programs that are irrelevant and ineffective.
• Forms of indigenous media and their local
examples:
a. folk or traditional media
b. gatherings and social organizations
c. direct observation
d. records (may be written, carved or oral)
e. oral instruction
While it may be difficult to fully
determine the reliability, accuracy,
value, and timeliness of any
information, as well as the
authority of the source, literacy in
media and information benefits
from the development of these
skills.
Difference of Indigenous Media to other Media
Indigenous media may be defined as
forms of media expression
conceptualized, produced, and
circulated by indigenous peoples
around the globe as vehicles for
communication, including cultural
preservation, cultural and artistic
expression, political self-determination,
and cultural sovereignty. https://www.oxfordbibliographies.com
Difference between Indigenous Media and other
common sources of Information
Indigenous media is different from
media that is produced by and for
other underserved groups such as
ethnic and sexual minorities, women,
and youth. For one thing, indigenous
people often don’’t know how to
engage the media from their village far
from electricity, telephones, press, or
radio or television stations.
http://www.publicsphereproject.org
Importance of Indigenous Media and Information as
a source of Information
From a cultural policy perspective,
indigenous media records and preserves
traditions, enhances and facilitates cultural
forms such as music and crafts, and can also
build connections to the wider world. Quality
media productions can positively represent
indigenous people and raise cultural
visibility.
https://theasiadialogue.com