SEEKING BIAS AND AUTHENTICITY ON THE WEB

LOOKING FOR BIAS FIRST WITHIN OURSELVES AND THEN WITHIN THE SOURCE IS KEY

Knowing his subjects are predisposed to blame Guilder for their woes, Humperdinck schemes to murder his bride and frame Guilder in order to further his war agenda. 

Abstract

The proliferation of mobile and digital publishing tools is a double-edged sword. The emergence of new and more diverse voices creates the opportunity for a public dialog that represents a multiplicity of points-of-view.  At the same time this transfers much of the responsibility to verify the information presented from the traditional sources, such as journalists and editors, back to the individual.  The danger lies in the recipient of the information taking false claims at face value due to a lack of skill in critical thinking and determining bias. This is especially an issue if the point-of-view presented aligns with existing beliefs, as there can be a tendency to accept the information as verification of those beliefs that requires no further inquiry. 

Sir Francis Bacon paraphrased from Novum Organum (1620).
Meme was generated on quickmeme.

Treatment

Applying critical thinking skills in determining bias in materials distributed through the web is a bit like peeling an onion; each layer of inquiry can reveal more potential for bias or authenticity. The first layer is an examination of our own bias. Carl Sagan in the The Demon-Haunted World (1996) cautions us that biases can “color our interpretation of the evidence” (p.199).  He warns us that historically, commonly held beliefs within society, (whether religious, political or academic) have often proved to be “grotesquely wrong.”

Ptolemy World Map shows a flat world. Until the 1500's people
organized themselves around the belief that the world was flat.

The next layer is determining if the information is baloney. In Demon-Haunted World, Sagan coined the phrase Baloney Detection Kit (p.534) as a list of tools for inquiry into scientific discovery. On his website, Michael Shermer adapts the Baloney Detection Kit so that it can be applied to all claims. The tools are reframed and updated as questions that help to reveal bias and authenticity. Questions that get us to examine the source and help to reveal an agenda. We should ask who makes the claim and who funds the claim maker?  Michael Shermer’s Baloney Detection video is presented by The Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science. The stated agenda is to support scientific education, critical thinking and evidence-based understanding. Conversely, MartinLutherKing.org was masquerading as a student resource. It was a spin off of StormFront.org which claims “White Pride World Wide” as it's mission, while blaming Blacks and Jews for all the problems in the world on their homepage. Storm Front lists David Duke, a former Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan as a supporter. In these two examples the agenda of the source is easily discoverable; that will not always be the case.

Assignment Universe Video of Carl Sagan's Baloney Detection Kit

Once the source of the material and the source's agenda, as well as the agenda of their supporters is identified we can proceed with peeling back additional layers. Inquiry into the clarity and substance of the argument and the verifiable logic of the support come next. Whether we are applying critical thinking to a media piece or developing our own logic chain in support of our own argument, one of Sagan's suggestions is that “if there is a chain of argument, every argument must work.”  The argument must work, the visual and verbal facts must be verified, the evidence substantiated. 

In her article on PR Watch (2010), Ann Landman urges people to be immediately skeptical of any message that attempts to appeal to emotions first and logic second. An attempt at breakthrough with shock and awe tactics or an emotional manipulation using children or animals should be suspect.  The ad above promoting gun control uses all of these tactics. While the agenda is clear, the visual argument is flawed. This version of Little Red Riding Hood is banned (because there is a bottle of wine in her basket) in only two school districts. However, assault weapons are banned in all school districts. Disregarding the manipulation of facts here is dangerous and gives the opposing argument fuel for their own Baloney Detection kit.

Conclusion

In order to reveal bias in web information, we need to peel back the layers. First, reflecting on and recognizing our own prejudice. Then taking on the responsibility of authentication and seeking out the agenda of the source. We must look at how the facts may be literally or visually misrepresented to manipulate an emotional response. Bias and authentication must be separated from our own point-of-view in order to apply critical thinking and determine the truth.

If Carl Sagan, Lemony Snicket and Francis Bacon went into a bar they might order this
 Pub Style Bologna and Onion salad, with Bacon.

Sources

Bacon. F (1620) Novum organum: The true directions concerning the  interpretations of nature. MobileReference

Dindar, S. (2013, April 15) Shocking American gun control ads created by Canadian ad agency. Shine On
     http://ca.shine.yahoo.com/blogs/shine-on/shocking-american-gun-control-ads-created-canadian-ad-201944987.html

Landman, A. (2010, April 28). Why facts no longer matter. The Center for Media and Democracy's   PR Watch.  http://www.prwatch.org/news/2010/04/9030/why-facts-no-longer-matter

Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science. Arlington,VA (n.d.) 

        http://www.richarddawkins.net/home/about

Sagan. C  (1996) Demon-haunted world: Science as a candle in the dark.
     New York: Random House

Sagan, C (2012) Assignment Universe: Carl Sagan's baloney detection kit.
     http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDYO7MJcnWs

Shermer, M. (2009, June) Baloney detection kit 
        http://www.michaelshermer.com/2009/06/baloney-detection-kit/

Thomson, K. (2011, January 16). White supremacist site martinlutherking.org marks 12th anniversary. 
       The Huffington Post 
        http://www.huffingtonpost.com/keith-thomson/white-supremacist-site-ma_b_809755.html

Wikipedia David Duke (n.d.) Retrieved April 18 from

        http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Duke