LESSON 5

MEDIA AND
INFORMATION
SOURCES
Information Sources - are the
producers or givers of
information, and people who
use it are the consumer.
These sources also serve as
the means by which people
record information for
future consumption.
Sources of information available
today:
 Books  Articles
 Periodicals  Dictionaries
 Encyclopedias
 Internet
Sources of information available
today:
 Even people are considered
information sources with their,
1. Personal Experiences
2. Opinions
3. Stories
 Three Types of Information Sources

1. Primary- is an original,
uninterpreted or “first-hand” material
of the information, created by the
persons directly involved in an activity
or an event.
 This rawness makes primary sources
valid and reliable, while allowing the
readers to interpret the information,
rather than rely on the interpretation
of other authors or writers.

 Primary sources includes speeches,

autobiographies, personal letters,
photos, diaries and manuscript.
 An interview can become a primary
source when the interviewee his/her
direct knowledge about a topic
 2. Secondary- provides information
obtained through several primary
sources and has undergone editing or
interpretation.
 An autobiography is considered as primary
source since it is a detailed account of a
person’s life written by the same person,
while biography is secondary sources written
by an individual describing the life of
another person.
 Scholarly books and articles are
generally considered as secondary
sources, other types of secondary
sources include encyclopedias,
research articles, dictionaries,
histories, commentaries, magazines
and newspaper articles.
3. Tertiary Source- consists of
summaries and collections of both
primary and secondary sources.
Not always considered to be acceptable
materials for academic researches as they
only provide overviews of the original
references.
Activity :
Identify if the following word are primary, secondary or
tertiary source of information.
1. Books
2. Academic researches with original references
3. Speeches
4. An interviewee direct knowledge about the topic
5. Encyclopedia
6. Biography
7. Newspaper articles
8. Diaries
9. Personal letters
10. Photos
Important Elements to Consider in
Classifying Information Sources.

1. Reliability of information
Information is said to be reliable if
it can be verified and evaluated. Others
refer to the trustworthiness of the
source in evaluating the reliability of
information.
 Skills in Determining the Reliability
of Information.
1. Check the author. The author’s
willingness to be identified is a good
indication of reliability.
2. Check the date of publication or of
update. While the information may be true,
it may not be reliable if it is outdated and
may have lost relevance.
3. Check for citations. Reliable authors
have the discipline of citing sources of their
information.
4. Check the domain or owner of the site
or page. The domains .edu and .gov are
reserved for academic institutions and the
government, respectively. Information from
such sites are presented with caution and
are usually well-grounded. Site owners may
have an agenda that affects the manner by
which information is presented.
5. Check the site design and the writing
style. Credible sources take time to make
their information accessible and easy to
comprehend.
2. Accuracy of Information
Accuracy refers to the closeness of the
report to the actual data. Measurement of
accuracy varies, depending on the type of
information being evaluated. Forecasts
are said to be accurate if the report is
similar to the actual data. Financial
information is considered accurate if the
values are correct, properly classified, and
presented.
Determining Accurate Information
1. Look for facts.

2. Cross-reference with other sources to

check for consistency.
3. Determine the reason for writing and
publishing the information. Check if the
author is objective or leaning heavily on
a certain point of view.
4. Check for advertising. Advertisers may
use related information to market their
product.
3. Value of Information
Information is said to be of value if it aids
the user in making or improving decisions.
4. Authority of the Source
Much of the information we gather daily do not
come from a primary source but are passed on
through secondary sources such as writers,
reporters, and the like. Sources with an
established expertise on the subject matter are
considered as having sound authority on the
subject.
 5. Timeless
Reliability, accuracy, and value of information
may vary based on the time it was produced or
acquired. While a piece of information may
have been found accurate, reliable, and
valuable during the time it was produced, it
may become irrelevant and inaccurate with the
passing of time (thus making it less valuable).
Other information may be timeless, proven to
be the same in reliability, accuracy, and value
throughout history.
 TWO FORMATS OF INFORMATION SOURCE
1. PRINT
Books, periodicals, newspapers,
magazines, photographs, reports,
journals, dictionaries,
encyclopedias, government
documents and records.
2. NONPRINT
Audio, video, audio-video files,
microfilm, digital documents, and
other materials in digital formats,
usually saved in computers,
compact disks, DVDs, and other
storage devices.
 Where to find information sources?
Library
- is a building or room that
contains a collection of books,
periodicals, and/or audio-visual
materials.
 Types of
Libraries
Libraries are often classified in 4 groups,
namely: academic, public, school and
special. These libraries may be either
digital or physical in form.
Skills in Accessing Information from
Libraries
Due to the wealth of information in a library, it
is important to know the following:
• The access tool to use
• How the information being accessed may be classified
• The depth of details required--some libraries provide
only an abstract of the topic
• More detailed information might require membership or
some conformity to set rules of the source (ex databases).
Characteristics of libraries in terms of
reliability, accuracy and value
Libraries of published books are often
considered highly reliable, accurate, and
valuable. Books and documents from
dominant sources are often peer reviewed.
ISSN or ISBN registration ensures that
standards were followed in producing
these materials.
2. Internet
- is a global network of
computers that allows computer
users around the world to share
information for various purposes.
3. Indigenous Media
- refers to a form of media
conceptualized, produced, and
circulated by indigenous people as
vehicles for communication,
specifically for cultural preservation,
cultural and artistic expression,
political self-determination and
cultural sovereignty.
Indigenous Media
1. Folklore
2. Folk music
3. Dances
4. Other indigenous art
Evaluating Information and Media
Two Different Types of Information:

 TRUTH
 UNTRUTH
In evaluating information- whether text,
image, audio or multimedia-one must
remember to ask the following question.
What/Who is the source of information?

What is the medium used?

What is its purpose?

How is the information made?