When examining your own work, especially journalistic products—whether online articles, printed news stories, TV reports, podcasts or live broadcasts—it is essential to recognize that these are source materials. Journalists are not merely intermediaries; they often serve as primary sources of information, and in some cases, they may be the sole source available. As a result, journalism generates source materials that deserve the same level of critical analysis as any other source. These materials carry their own tendencies and interpretations that need to be uncovered, existing within a broader informational context and interconnected with other sources.

Journalists frequently face the challenge of deciding which aspects of information to highlight and which to exclude, constrained by limited space in print, web pages, or broadcasting time. This editorial decision-making process inherently shapes the narrative and can lead to selective omissions that affect the overall portrayal of the story. Consequently, applying a source criticism lens to journalistic outputs involves not just evaluating the content presented but also closely scrutinizing the information that is missing. By questioning what is omitted or taken for granted, we gain a deeper understanding of the potential biases and influences embedded within journalistic narratives.

To critically engage with your own work, you must ask probing questions that challenge the completeness, accuracy, and balance of the information presented, considering how the choice of content reflects your perspective and influences audience perception:

• What tendencies are evident in the story?
• Are facts and opinions clearly distinguished?
• Does the story contain politically, ideologically, or culturally biased statements?
• How do the selection and arrangement of sources and source material influence the interpretation of the story?
• Does the story strike a balance, or does it favor certain perspectives?
• Whose perspective is dominant, and whose is left out?
• What is taken for granted in the story?
• How does the language use and mode of discourse affect how the story might be interpreted?
• What type of media outlet publishes the story, and is its political, ideological, or cultural stance known?
• Who owns the media outlet, and could ownership interests influence the coverage?
• Does the outlet allow for audience feedback and provide a way to request corrections?

The image is generated by SCAM using Midjourney