Ask who supplied the information

Source criticism becomes an everyday way to evaluate information, rather than a habit reserved for choosing history books. When reading news or watching television, the first question is where the information came from. A report about a scientific breakthrough might draw on the scientists, their public-relations team, a sponsoring company, or a government sponsor. Each route can shape how much of the underlying information reaches the audience. The immediate issue is less whether someone is telling the truth than whether the account is full enough to support its framing.