Credible Sources
It can be pretty tricky to figure out whether a source is credible.
We want news sources that carefully check facts, do thorough research, rely on expertise, and are careful to separate factual reporting from editorial opinion. We want news sources that don’t twist facts to suit their point of view.
Even the very best sources will make mistakes sometimes. Credible sources make fewer mistakes, and quickly correct the ones they do make. Credible sources will not intentionally mislead readers with false or distorted information.
Table of Contents
What is a credible source of information?
A credible source makes an effort to ensure that it only publishes accurate information.
Credible sources are evidence-based and will rarely publish false or misleading information, and if they do, they will quickly publish corrections.
Credible sources have standards and procedures in place to verify the information they publish and to identify potential biases in their work. They also have editorial and ethics policies.
Finally, credible sources avoid conflicts of interest and sensational language.
Credibility is not all or nothing
No credible source is accurate 100% of the time. No source is 100% objective. Trying to figure out where a source is between “perfect” on one end and “garbage” or “intentionally misleading” at the other is tricky.
However, credible sources share a lot of common criteria that professionals look for when they judge credibility:
- Transparency: Does it clearly say who writes, edits and who funds it?
- Purpose: Is it a publisher of journalism or research? Or is it designed to promote a product, brand, industry or interest group? This is sometimes hard to figure out. Be wary of publications designed to sell dietary supplements or policy positions.
- Skill and experience: Some publishers are better than others, even if they have similar intentions.
- Topic and language choices: Does a source intentionally use emotional or manipulative language? Does it focus on sensational topics that shock people? Does it ignore other credible sources or viewpoints?
What if a questionable site's article is legit and a credible site's article is wrong?
Credible sources will make mistakes. They should be rare and quickly corrected. Sources that are intentionally malicious publications may use “normal” content to hide their real purpose.
Grading publications is hard. It requires a lot of research, expertise and balancing of complex issues. In general, we rely on professionals to help us understand the credibility of sources. This is especially important for things that claim to be scientific journals, which can be very obscure, or local newspapers that can vary widely in terms of quality and reputation.
“Credibility” can suppress underrepresented voices
Also true. Many of the most well respected scientific and journalistic publications recognize that they have failed to hire enough women, People of Color, LBGTQ, Native Americans, people with disabilities and other underrepresented groups. They’ve also failed to cover issues and perspectives of those people or use them as expert or witness sources for articles. Thankfully several new media organizations now exist to elevate those perspectives and other media and scientific outlets have made significant efforts to create space for them.
Any new outlet should be examined according to the same criteria above. Over time, they will create a track record.
Objectivity vs both-sides-ism
In the past few years there has been concern that the attempt to be objective has lead mainstream media sources to give equal weight to opinions that do not have equal credibility. They have ended up amplifying minority opinions, like the idea that the earth is flat or vaccines are dangerous, making them seem more credible than they are.
Most news outlets are rethinking how to avoid amplifying minority opinions, without hiding evidence that contradicts more popular opinions. We wish them luck in this complicated endeavor and hope they figure it out quickly.
Rankings we rely on
Several organizations that publish media credibility rankings, such as AdFontesMedia and BothSides, base their rankings on surveys or people who read those publications. We find these less reliable and consistent than those that establish more specific evaluation criteria.
We have learned a lot about media credibility from The Global Disinformation Index, and they are our primary source of credibility information. NewsGuard and some others also have well-documented ratings criteria.
List of credible sources
Most reliable fact checking sites
Most reliable national media considered editorially neutral
Most reliable on the facts, but may have a liberal editorial bias
Most reliable on the facts, but may have a conservative editorial bias
Alphabetical list of trusted national media websites
Note – This is not a comprehensive list. There are thousands of reliable sources. These are the most commonly referenced at a national level. Each of these meets the criteria set by Global Disinformation Index and NewsGuard. The vast majority of news you come across will be corroborated in one or more of these sources if it is true.
If you have reason to believe that one of these sources is not trustworthy, you would like a source added to the list, please let us know on our contact page. Please feel free to also ask us to look up the ratings on a new news source you come across. We will update these lists periodically to reflect any changes.
Most reliable public health information
Top 15 medical journals
Trustworthy popular scientific journals
Untrustworthy sources
These sources frequently use inflammatory language, have questionable funding sources and/or unethical marketing practices. They frequently publish widely-debunked disinformation and conspiracy theories. While they do publish some factual information, their extreme editorial bias often distorts the meaning. These are some of the most widely shared sources of disinformation on social media.
There are many, many other sources of questionable information. If you’re not sure if a source is reliable, we’re happy to help check it out for you. Send us a message.
Do not trust news or information that comes from these sources.