Media and Information Sources (Lec) 1 hour
Introduction 10 mins
0 REMIXES
1. Choose a recent piece of controversial news and discuss it with the learners.
2. Ask the learners where they got the news and what they know about it.
3. Provide news about the topic coming from different sources – newspaper, magazine, social media, TV,
Internet.
4. Distribute each material to a different group of learners. Have each group describe the type of
information their source delivers.
5. Ask them to note the differences and similarities between the information gathered in each source.
TIP
Instruction 40 mins
0 REMIXES
1. Bring the class to a focus by stating the specific learning objectives. At the end of the lesson, the
learner should be able to:
• Demonstrate an ability to examine and compare information from various sources in order to
evaluate its reliability, accuracy, authority, timeliness, and bias
• Determine the accuracy, reliability and value of information by questioning the source of data,
limitations of the information gathering tools or strategies, and the rationale of the conclusions.
2. Define keywords in the objectives as an overview of the lesson. These keywords include:
• Reliability of information - Information is said to be reliable if it can be verified and evaluated.
Others refer 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 (thus making it less valuable). Other information may be timeless, proven to be the same in
reliability, accuracy, and value throughout history.
3. Discuss the following topics on 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.
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--some libraries provide only an abstract of the topic
• More detailed information might require membership or some conformity to set rules of the
source (ex databases).
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.
4. Discuss the following topics about 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
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.
5. Discuss the 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.
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.
6. Discuss the 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.
7. Discuss the following topics on the 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 the information being passed around is biased and inaccurate.
TIP
Enrichment 10 mins
0 REMIXES
• Synthesize the lesson by going back on the example used at the start of the lesson. Have the learners
look at various pieces of news handed out to them regarding the topic. As a class, fill out the following
table.
• Conclude by reminding the learners that 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.
TIP
Assignment 0 mins
0 REMIXES
1. Ask the learners to identify information about their local community.
2. Tell them to identify the possible source of this information and to write their answers down in
their notebook. 3. Inform the learners that they will be meeting guests from the local community
in the next meeting. The class will interview the guests on indigenous media and information.
4. Tell the learners to prepare for next week by writing questions that they would like to ask the
guests. Tell them that they will be called at random to ask the guest their questions, and that
questions may not be repeated.
Five characteristics of high quality information
Database
Five characteristics of high quality information are accuracy, completeness, consistency, uniqueness, and timel
Information needs to be of high quality to be useful and accurate. The information that is input into a data base
reliable. Flaws do arise with database design but do not let something in your control, accurate and reliable dat
new business ideas as well as promoting the organizational goals.
Completeness is another attribute of high quality information. Partial information may as well be incomplete in
inputting data into a database.
Consistency is key when entering information into a database. For example, with a column for a phone number
number more or less than 10 digits will not be accepted. The same applies for any field, whether it is an entry t
specific limit for information then consistency is even more important.
Uniqueness is the fourth component of high quality information. In order to add value to any organization, info
used properly can make a company competitive or can keep a company competitive.
A fifth important aspect of information is timeliness. New and current data is more valuable to organizations th
information can keep a company from achieving their goals or from surviving in a competitive arena. The info
current. Real-time information is an element of timeliness.
