Re: Misinformation

[Joni J Rathbun <jrathbun@OREDNET.ORG>]

On Wed, 5 Apr 2000, Earl Sande wrote:

> It sure would be nice if everything were simple, but be aware that many
> organizations sponsoring or maintaining websites have biases which are
> either unknown to us or difficult to detect.
>
> Some years ago, a researcher examined a number of "scientific" reports to
> determine whether these were done with an unbiased accuracy and discovered
> that a great number - too many - had agendas that reflected their sponsors.
>
> Simply selecting the "American [X] Association" over Joe's, ultimately,
> only prolongs the misinformation that we are providing.

A great deal of research and information is biased in one way or another
as are materials that interpret and report on research. So short of
only providing our students with access to items such as the Opposing
Viewpoints series, the point becomes one to provide a balance of
views and representations. This is true whether we're talking about
the net or about print materials.

That said, my example wasn't a very good one. I was thinking more
in terms of publishers and having, as a lay person, a need to place
some trust in the reputation and credibility of the publisher -- to
identify some of these biases for me. I simply cannot find them
all myself. Nor will I  be able to always to determine accuracy
and authenticity. There will always be exceptions... e.g. the current
website in question that was recommended by the ALA website. Or
the book we purchased from a credible publisher and well reviewed
in SLJ -- only to discover that it told our children Pacific
salmon lived on beyond spawning to do it again the following year.



   J. Rathbun | Library Teacher - Media Specialist
   Lincoln Elementary School - Las Vegas
   jrathbun@orednet.org [home]
   The views I express are mine and mine alone.

  "Poetry and hums aren't things which you get, they're
   things which get you. And all you can do is to go
   where they can find you."

             -- Winnie the Pooh

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