Tips to Help You Find Online Truth for Yourself
It’s a 21st century concept, but media literacy is a real discipline for studying and evaluating communications as propagated within any form of media, from print to digital. In this era, we’re all bombarded by more messaging than at any time in history. Media literacy is a way to cope, sort and manage all that information.
Advertising’s purpose is to influence your behavior — to buy something, usually. Similarly, marketing is meant to promote a product or business. If you study media literacy for websites, therefore, you’re better able to interpret the messages coming at you as you venture onto the internet.
You Don’t Need Another Degree
To study media literacy for websites, you don’t necessarily have to return to school, although such a degree program is likely available. But that’s not what we’re advocating. Instead, pay attention and learn what to look for in the messaging on the websites you visit.
There’s nothing to commit to memory. You won’t find any tests to pass. Media literacy for websites isn’t a cut-and-dried exercise. It’s not something you learn and forget. On the contrary, when you’re media literate, you approach information a little differently.
Why We Care about Media Literacy for Websites
Ray Access writes website content. We’re very good at it, and our clients benefits from the words we craft. In the course of our research, we’ve read and examined thousands of websites. Believe it or not, not all of them tell the truth. Worse, some give half-truths, incomplete information or misleading data. By applying the principles of media literacy for websites, we can read between the lines to discern this “fake news.”
We at Ray Access strive to better the internet by writing high quality content and alerting our readers of the dangers of lazy writing. When you can find factual information on a website, presented in a way that benefits the site’s target audience, then our work is done. Sadly, not everyone agrees that it’s important to “stick to the facts, ma’am.”
How to Become Media Literate
When it comes to websites, you can’t simply read for comprehension, as if the website were a reputable newspaper. You have to learn to recognize the tricks, and you have to find the right questions to ask yourself. In 2019, in the age of fake news, it’s more important than ever to be able to determine what’s real and authentic.
You need to have some tools to help you as you venture out in the wild landscape of the internet. You need to know what to look for and how to spot the markers that may indicate less than the full truth. So here some tips to can help:
- Adopt a curious attitude. You can no longer accept whatever you read — or even see — as the truth. Be curious about what you see. Question what you read.
- Consider the source. Here are several examples:
- It’s possible that an orthodontist is telling you the truth when he recommends that the only way to fix an overbite is to get braces. It’s also possible he just wants to sell braces. Does his website even list alternatives to braces? If not, you have to check out the options for yourself.
- It’s possible that a news site is presenting all the facts about a recent political scandal. They happen, sometimes with regularity. It’s also possible that the site makes its money by exaggerating the news so you keep coming back. Look to see if other sites are reporting it. Real news isn’t exclusive, even if one media outlet first breaks the story.
- Look for language markers. The English language presents readers with a slippery slope of truthfulness. It’s easy to slip into half-truths or worse. A website that touts restorative creams, for example, will use the word “can,” as in: “This cream can give you relief in 10 minutes.” That’s not the same as writing that it will give you relief. “May” is another marker, as in: “It may take three treatments to resolve your issues.” That doesn’t promise anything.
- Double-check the facts. Never take the word of one website, especially when it’s so easy to double-check, with the whole of the internet at your fingertips. Media literacy for websites means adopting a skeptical outlook.
- Look for links to corroborating sites. Every reputable website should have links to external sites that offer objective facts that back up the assertions of the first website’s claims. Did you know that if you hover the mouse pointer over a link, the URL displays in the bottom left of your browser window? That’s useful.
If all this seems too difficult, then stick to reputable websites. But even the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post make mistakes. Don’t let your guard down just because you’re reading a well-known website. When you develop media literacy for websites, it’s always “buyer beware.”
Ray Access is a content marketing firm that delivers targeted words to empower your business. Contact us about your specific project to receive a quote or discuss your needs. We write website copy, blog posts, e-newsletters and more. Everything we do is thoroughly researched, professionally edited and guaranteed original.