Wikimedia Blog/Drafts/To believe or not to believe? This is the question

Title ideas edit

 
  • To believe or not to believe? This is the question
  • Tips for recognizing reliable sources


Summary edit

Wikimedia Israel decided to tackle the hotly debated issue of reliable sources, or, to be more precise – how can one tell the difference between a reliable source of information and a non-reliable one.

Body edit

Wikimedia Israel decided to tackle the hotly debated issue of reliable sources, or, to be more precise – how can one tell the difference between a reliable source of information and a non-reliable one.
Whether we like it or not, the usage of terms such as "fake news" or "alternative facts" has been creeping up in recent time, not only in the US. The reliability of journals, newspapers and websites – even the most respected ones - is repeatedly challenged. Rather than feeling alarmed or confused by this development, we can embrace this opportunity to check our basic concepts regarding this issue. Wikimedia Israel works a lot with high-school students, and they often ask what kind of sources are considered reliable.
It seemed only natural, then, that Wikimedia Israel would take a plunge into this issue and provide some kind of tool to guide students, Wikipedia users and general public through the basic notions of reliability.For this end, we wrote a short paper and circulated it among some Israeli scholars who have been working with us for several years, most notably Prof. Sheizaf Rafaeli of the University of Haifa.
This essay was clearly not appealing enough, especially for the younger generation, so we contacted one of the leading comics artists in Israel, Racheli Rottner, who has also been involved in several science-for-children productions.
Racheli Rottner drawn eight comic strips, each demonstrating a characteristic of a non-reliable source. The recurring motif is the (false) statement, "apples cause cancer". One figure tries to convince another that this statement is true while using a basic logical fallacy or a misleading argument. The poor reliability of this figure is intentionally obvious, as it meant to lead the readers to the detailed explanatory text next to the comic strip, and make them think how these methods are used in more subtle approaches, which they often encounter.
Wikimedia Israel works in three languages: Hebrew, Arabic and English, hence we provide this presentation in three language versions. Dror Kamir wrote the explanatory texts and translated them and Rottner's dialogues into Arabic and English with the help of WMIL's workers Makbula Nassar (for Arabic) and Keren Shatzman (for English). Translations into other languages are welcome of course, as we will also be happy to hear your comments and further ideas.

Presentation in English
Presentation in Arabic
Presentation in Hebrew

 
too much information. By Racheli Rottner/Wikimedia Israel, CC BY SA 03.
 
Does the report include expressions of reservation?. By Racheli Rottner/Wikimedia Israel,CC BY SA 03.
 
Who deliver the information?. By Racheli Rottner/Wikimedia Israel,CC BY SA 03.

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Michal Lester and Dror Kamir, Wikimedia Israel