Keep It Simple
As a profession, we need to avoid bias and teach others how to avoid bias. We should direct library users toward the least-editorialized information available, with the caveat that breaking news is not always accurate news. Look to newswire services first, and search for articles that provide solid facts and cited sources, while eschewing articles that utilize emotional language and unverified or anonymous sources ("liberal/conservative rioters," "dangerous rhetoric," "disturbing," "impassioned," and "rousing" are all terms that color the viewpoint of a news article). We need to remind library users that all news is a business that sells a particular point of view -- anyone who agrees with that point of view, will patronize the news sources that reinforce their beliefs (the echo chamber). Locating information resources that fall outside of any echo chamber is the key to formulating our own opinions and to maintaining a realistic viewpoint of the facts. Read multiple news sources daily using a news aggregator, read outside of your comfort zone, and question any news story that elicits a strong response (a strong reaction indicates a bias for or against the topic at hand). Helping library users (and library employees) recognize and avoid bias (news resources, and our own) is the simplest way to corral alternative facts and find credible sources.
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Comments (3)
Hi Rachel:
Those are great recommendations. Is there a way to help everyone get motivated to seek balanced reporting and actual facts? What role can a librarian's play in that?
Good question -- and this is the hardest part, for all of us!
At my library, two coworkers and I established a "Fake News" program. The title is intended to capture attention, but the program is presented in a very neutral and non-political format with simple steps that anyone can incorporate. We have an infographic that we share with our patrons at this program, and we share the infographic as a take-away in the building and on our website. Most of the points are things that librarians know well, but patrons may not -- Don't just read the headline (because headlines are meant to grab your attention, not inform), find multiple sources, know the author or source of the information, know the point of the article (is it an editorial/opinion piece, or a recitation of facts), and identify bias in the article and in yourself. These steps are a given to most librarians, but our patrons need to see these points reinforced. We try to offer this class quarterly, to keep up interest and to give ourselves time to adapt it to current evens.
In our reference work, Librarians need to incorporate information education into our reference interviews and transactions as much as possible. We need to describe the search process to our patrons, and illustrate that we are using multiple sources to answer a question (as much as possible!). We should also direct patrons to resources other than Google whenever we can, to avoid the redundancy and echo chamber of algorithms that redirect to the most-clicked options. Library databases are a resource that we all know well, but our patrons may be completely unfamiliar with what these tools can be used for on a day to day basis. Searching for title recommendations? Show patrons how to use Goodreads or NoveList or another resource to locate read-alikes and new authors. Patrons want an article on whether or not the earth is flat? Try a magazine or journal database to get them materials that they would not likely find on their own, and show them as many resources as possible. WE know how to find these resources, but our patrons may not, so we need to go beyond just answering their question and delve further into resource education whenever we can. (And believe me, I get it -- when you are slammed at the service desk, or the phone is ringing off the hook, there isn't time to get into a 20 minute lesson on peer reviewed sources and which databases offer the best selection of materials). If we have one newly educated patron per day, it's progress!
Newswire services are a good recommendation!