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HOW TO EVALUATE WEB SITES--Advocacy vs. Objectivity
 - Advocacy vs. Objectivity: Is there any obvious (or subtle!) bias or agenda being promoted on the site, or does it represent all sides of an issue objectively?
Be aware that web sites are often used to persuade viewers of a particular viewpoint on an issue or issues, and you may be getting only one side of the story. Sometimes that's useful, but in those cases, you need to know that advocacy rather than objectivity is the aim. Even reputable, or "official," sites may take a particular slant on an issue. If you're looking for a balanced presentation, be alert to obvious or even subtle biases.
Some things to look for:
- Does the page present more than one viewpoint?
- Does the author present information as fact or as opinion?
- Does the author or group sponsoring the site have a known agenda to promote?
- Does the page have a statement about its purpose?
- Can information on the site be confirmed through another independent source or sources?
- Example of an advocacy site:
PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals)
- Example of an objective site:
WRAL.com News
 More Help in Evaluating Web Sites
Back to "How to Evaluate Web Sites--FYS Web Evaluation Exercise" page
Last updated August 25, 2005
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