Chapter 5 Critical Interpretation, Maxwell Rausch, Rob Smethurst, Ricki Cundliffe, Megan Perras

Purpose:

This text is about fact checking. Essentially, reporters are responsible for the accuracy for their stories; there are no such things as "safety nets" in the news room. The author wants their readers to think about the reliability of the facts, rather than simply relying on just any old information source - especially when it comes to Internet sources. The author wants to inform us of which Internet domains tend to be the most accurate and dissuade us from being rash with our judgements. As well, the text also talks about Internet search tools, and the mechanics of Internet search engines and online discussion groups. The text is pertinent to journalists and editors in particular.

Structures and Features:

Lists, bullet points, charts, and figures are all used in this chapter to present information to the reader. The language used in this text contains a lot less jargon in comparison to most academic texts; therefore, the concepts are more easily understood by a broad audience. The images and figures suggest ideas and concepts that are crucial to the breakdown and thorough understanding of online content; although, these also seem to suggest a more complication approach to critical online thinking.

Power:

In this particular topic, it's somewhat difficult to place a bias on the content. On the other hand, some may argue that the text places a large amount of responsibilities on copy editors themselves. Still, one could rightfully say that it is in fact the responsibility of the journalist to ensure accuracy in their stories. The text seems to look down on citizen journalists: "Personal pages aren't reliable sources of factual information." In this sense, the text is not completely fair to all persons involved. The beneficiaries from this text include proponents of traditional journalism.

Gaps:



As mentined above, citizens journalists are mentioned, but not actually given a voice. The text is not intended for consumers or people who want to be entertained; it's aimed at content producers. True, the text avoids certain issues such as the Haiti crisis, animal rights, and pro-life considerations, although when it comes to the breakdown of URLs, it pins the tail on the donkey.

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