FYS 120F: Practicing Democracy

LibKey Nomad

Research & Instruction Librarian for Social Sciences & Data Literacy

she/her/hers

Email Me

Contact:

Rolvaag Library 305
St. Olaf College
Northfield, MN 55057

Subjects: Asian Conversations, Asian Studies, Chinese, Economics, Education, Family Studies, Japanese, Political Science, Psychology, Public Affairs Conversation, Public Health, Social Work, Social Work and Family Studies

Scholarly vs. Non-Scholarly Sources

Comparing Sources Graphic
From the University of Toronto, Scarborough.
Scholarly vs. Non-Scholarly Sources
Explore this interactive tutorial!

Search Library Databases

Access World News
Full-text articles from a variety of local news sources. Dates of coverage vary by newspaper.

Online Newspaper Access

Minnesota Star Tribune
Access to the current Star Tribune two different ways. Access requirements have changed and now can access either on campus (IP based/no login/no registration) or register with St. Olaf email address for seamless on and off campus access. Archives searchable back through 2005. Please use ProQuest Historical Newspapers. for earlier content. Click "more..." below for access information.

You can now receive Digital Subscription access provided by St. Olaf.
1. Using the registration link, a sign is required using St. Olaf email address.
2. Once you have registered with your St. Olaf account, you can use it on or off-campus by signing in using the St. Olaf account you created with the registration.
New York Times Online
Academic site license access to New York Times Online.
Note: You will need to register the first time you access this site. If you have previously registered your email address on The New York Times site, you will click the "Already have an account?" "Log in here" link (below the "Create Account" button).
Wall Street Journal Online
Academic site license to the Wall Street Journal Online. Note: You will need to set up an account on the WSJ website because an individual site account is required to finish the registration.

Video: Search for Magazine Articles in Databases

The 5 C’s of Critical Consuming (News Sources)

#1: Context – Look at the context of the article. When was it written? Where does it come from? Have the events changed since then? Is there any new information that could change your perspective?

#2: Credibility – Check the credibility of the source. Does the site have a reputation for journalistic integrity? Does the author cite credible sources? Or is it satirical? Is it on a list of fake news sites? Is it actually an advertisement posing as a real news story?

#3: Construction. Analyze the construction of the article. What is the bias? Are there any loaded words? Any propaganda techniques? Any omissions that you should look out for? Can you distinguish between the facts and opinions? Or is it simply all speculation?

#4: Corroboration: Corroborate the information with other credible news sources. Make sure it’s not the only source making the claim. If it is, there’s a good chance it’s actually not true.

#5: Compare: Compare it to other news sources to get different perspectives. Find other credible sources from other areas of the ideological or political spectrum to provide nuance and get a bigger picture of what’s actually happening.

Evaluate Media Bias

AllSides Media Bias Website
The AllSides Media Bias Ratings™ and AllSides Media Bias Chart™ help make news bias transparent, allowing you to identify different perspectives and political leanings so you can get the full picture and think for yourself."