Social Education 75(5), pp 269–273 ©2011 National Council for the Social Studies Research and Practice Judging the Credibility of Internet Sources: Developing Critical and Reflexive Readers of Complex Digital Texts Mark Baildon and James Damico More and more, our impres- excavation and elevation, and two sets sions of the world derive not “Research & Practice,” established of key questions teachers and students from the observations we make early in 2001, features educational can use to evaluate these kinds of com- both as individuals and as research that is directly relevant to plicated web-based texts. members of a wider commu- the work of classroom teachers. Here, nity but from elaborate systems I invited two ‘new literacies’ scholars Challenges of communication, which spew to consider the difficulty students Determining the credibility of Internet out information, much of it un- face when judging the credibility of sources of information is challenging believable….1 sources found on the Internet. They on at least three fronts: the relative ease recommend teaching students to use of creating and disseminating digital The “elaborate systems of commu- two sets of guiding questions, one texts on the web, the lack of a vetting nication” that historian Christopher focused on the text at hand and the process for many of these postings, and Lasch observed nearly three decades other reflecting back on the reader. the fact that the authorship of Internet ago have intensified in complexity texts as well as authors’ credentials can and scope. The explosion of the In- —Walter C. Parker, “Research and be difficult to determine. This makes it ternet and wireless technologies has Practice” Editor, University of more difficult to source and contextu- resulted in a dizzying proliferation of Washington alize texts by examining authors’ pur- texts. Teachers and students are but a poses, biases, and perspectives or their keystroke or mouse click away from linear hypertext, multimedia, and in- social, cultural, and political positions. a limitless stream of video clips, blog teractive texts that typically mix images, Corroborating web-based texts by entries, news articles, social network- music, graphic arts, video, and print. comparing them to other accounts is ing messages, and more. Social studies Moreover, ease of distribution and ac- also challenging because the Internet teachers can draw on disciplinary tools, cess of web-based texts brings issues of is “a self-sustaining reference system,” such as strategies for sourcing, contex- credibility to the fore, and our primary in which readers must rely on other in- tualizing, and corroborating texts, to goal in this article is to consider how formation within the network to deter- help students critically analyze and educators can respond to these cred- mine credibility.3 This can result in an evaluate sources of information.2 Yet, ibility challenges. We do this with a “echo chamber” effect where particular we believe many web-based texts pose close look at two digital texts, a “denial” ideas are reinforced simply through unique challenges that outpace these text about climate change and a “con- repetition and remain unchallenged by strategies. They combine varied text spiracy theory” text about September different viewpoints.4 Moreover, the structures and formats, such as non- 11, 2001. We employ two metaphors, sheer volume of information sources at October 2011 269 A member of a team of Cambridge scientists trying to find out why Arctic sea ice is melting so fast, walks on some drift ice 500 miles (800 km) from the North Pole, September 3, 2011. Wildlife, including polar bears and walruses, depend on the sea ice that floats on the Arctic Ocean for survival. Despite the overwhelming consensus by scientists that climate change is caused by human activity, skeptics continue to make claims that global warming is a hoax. REUTERS/Stuart McDILL students’ fingertips makes it more likely images and graphics), aural (through and elevation, and two sets of key ques- that they will employ the mechanisms audio), gestural (through video), and tions can guide teachers and students to of selective exposure (choosing sources numerical (through graphs and tables). critically evaluate these texts. that align with their pre-existing beliefs) The modes in any one multimodal Denial Text about Global Warming: and selective perception (interpreting text, taken together or independently, 20/20 Segment Entitled “Give Me a events in line with those beliefs) in an convey particular information that can Break” attempt to manage the volume.5 We are connect to students’ prior knowledge “Give Me a Break” is an eight-minute also becoming more aware of the ways and experiences in different ways and video clip from the television news Internet browsers and programs, such reference other texts. Thus, the mul- program, 20/20. The main claim in as Google and Facebook, reinforce tiple modes in any one text might need this video is that the debate about and intensify selective exposure and to be analyzed individually as well as whether climate change is being caused perception by personalizing our Inter- evaluated as a whole to determine the by human beings is “not over.” The net experiences.6 credibility of the source. reporter, John Stossel, argues that cli- It is further difficult to judge the cred- With these challenges in mind, let’s mate change is not occurring at such ibility of web-based sources because now turn to two web-based texts, one a rapid pace, nor is it mainly the re- many texts on the Internet combine about climate change and one about sult of human intervention. Stossel different modes of communication— September 11, 2001. Then we’ll con- impugns a key claim in the movie, An linguistic (through print), visual (via sider how two metaphors, excavation Inconvenient Truth, which asserts that Social Education 270 increased amounts of carbon dioxide not of the airplane crashes but of ex- “connection codes” that help us see or levels cause higher temperatures. Stos- plosives planted in the building; (3) A understand a particular text in relation- sel posits a counterclaim, contending commercial airliner did not crash into ship to one’s own beliefs, values, and the inverse is true (higher temperatures the Pentagon; (4) The public has been knowledge, to other texts and ideas, to cause increased carbon dioxide levels). misled about what really happened to different contexts, and to different dis- Stossel then convenes a small group of the plane that crashed in rural Pennsyl- ciplines and genres.9 Thus, elevation scientists who oppose the consensus in vania; (5) The U. S. government misled practices can be critical investigations the scientific community that climate and misinformed the American public of how and why texts are created, le- change is primarily being caused by about 9/11. gitimated, and disseminated.10 Eleva- humans. This group of scientists lev- tion also has readers consider how and els a critique of the Intergovernmental Excavation and Elevation why different people might be affected Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the Two metaphors are particularly use- by the text (e.g., who benefits, who is leading authority of climate scientists ful in responding to the challenges of marginalized, etc.) or find the text com- across the globe. Stossel calls the group reading and understanding texts like pelling for particular reasons. “so-called scientists.” Stossel concludes the 20/20 segment and Loose Change: the clip with his main claim: “So when excavation and elevation.8 Excavation Applying Excavation and Elevation the Nobel Prize winner (Gore) says, involves careful inspection and analy- Excavation reveals the ways Stossel “The debate is over,” I say, “Give me a sis of individual texts while elevation attempts to support his claim that hu- break!” entails the evaluation of individual man activity might not be the cause of texts on the broader terrain of a text’s climate change. He interviews children Loose Change, a “Conspiracy Theory” production, dissemination, and con- to suggest how they have been brain- Internet Video sumption. washed into fright and despair, mainly Loose Change was written, directed, Excavation is close and careful anal- by Al Gore, to believe the world is and narrated by three men in their ear- ysis of, or “digging into,” a text. This in- ending because of climate change. Ex- ly 20’s. They produced the video for volves strategies like predicting, visu- cavation also reveals how Stossel relies $6,000 using a laptop computer.7 Be- alizing, asking questions, determining on a small group of scientists to impugn tween 2005-2009, several versions of main ideas, making inferences, summa- the rigor, relevance, and ethics of the Loose Change were released. The 2nd rizing, evaluating claims and evidence, IPCC. And it reveals that Stossel does edition (2007), our focus here, runs distinguishing fact from opinion and not deal with calls for recalibrating our approximately 90 minutes in length. specific details from generalizations, energy needs and consumption pat- The movie employs narration over identifying inconsistencies in a text, de- terns with a consideration of alterna- still photographs, news footage, video, tecting errors in reasoning or logic, and tive, renewable energy sources. computer-generated simulations, dia- discerning the credibility of a source. Elevation helps the reader see how grams, and models. There is an under- The latter involves asking: Who is the Stossel uses the group of scientists in score of hip-hop audio tracks. The film author? What are her/his credentials ways that tap into popular misconcep- includes considerable video content and allegiances? Who sponsors the tions about how science and scientists from CNN, NBC, and FOX News text or website? Excavation practices work. Consider the misconception along with interviews with eyewitness- also involve critical investigations of a that deals with doubt and uncertainty.