Crash Course: Navigating Digital Information

Introduction

• Host: John Green
• Focus: Importance of navigating digital information in the 21st century.
• Affiliation: Crash Course is a product of Complexly, supported by Patreon, advertisers, and grants.
• Collaboration: MediaWise, supported by Google, involves Poynter Institute and Stanford History Education Group.

Understanding Information Sources

• Information is always produced by someone for a purpose:
  • Examples:
    • Newspapers inform but also sell ads/subscriptions.
    • Advertisements aim to sell products, might appear informative.
    • Authors, like John Green with "The Fault in Our Stars," may have multiple motivations.
• Questions to Consider:
  • Who made this information and why?
  • Avoid oversimplifying motivations.

Challenges in Identifying Sources

• Online Anonymity: Difficulty in identifying true source, e.g., Stop City Funded Internet campaign.
• Example: Fidelity Communications' involvement discovered by a file name clue.

Reading Strategies

• Vertical Reading:
  • Tendency to read top-down, often misleading as creators show only what they want.
• Lateral Reading:
  • Move from tab to tab to check information.
  • Allows verification of source reliability.
• Example: Investigating ALEC's stance on internet regulation through lateral reading reveals conflicts of interest.

Resources for Lateral Reading

• Newspapers:
  • Longstanding sources of information, evolving into digital formats.
• Magazines and Digital News:
  • May have biases based on political or authorial perspectives.
• Fact-Checking Websites:
  • Examples: Snopes.com, PolitiFact.com.
  • Useful but not infallible.

The Media and Information Reliability

• Media is Diverse:
  • Not a monolith; consists of individuals with diverse viewpoints.
• Truth Evaluation:
  • Lateral reading helps in evaluating information amid diverse viewpoints.

Wikipedia as a Resource

• Common Misconceptions: Criticized for unreliability but can be a good starting point.
• Editorial Standards:
  • Articles vary in accuracy, but well-sourced articles are valuable.

Conclusion

• No Single Truth Source:
  • Information is made by flawed individuals; not all information is equally unreliable.
• Importance of Lateral Reading:
  • Helps in contextualizing and validating information.
  • Prevents the spread of misinformation.
• Practice: Regular lateral reading improves skills over time.

Collaboration and Support

• Crash Course Team: Filmed in Indianapolis with a large team.
• MediaWise and Stanford History Education Group: Partnership in developing curriculum to assess online information accuracy.