Authority is Constructed

Learning Outcomes:
1. Apply lateral reading to determine the credibility of a source.

2. Become intentional rather than passive when consuming information.

What’s the difference between credibility and authority?

Elizabeth was a scientist who wanted to design something that made the world a better place. She started a business to distribute her invention and became a billionaire overnight.

Russell was a scientist who defied the established laws of nature when his research resulted in an outrageous claim. Many other scientists did not believe him when he reported his findings.

Based on the content of these two short tales, which person would you trust more?

Content is not the only way to figure out who to trust. What do you know about the people behind these tales? You know they are scientists, and you know one thing that each person did. Is that enough? Probably not. Let’s do some lateral reading—or reading on other websites—to recruit some more information about these scientists.
Discover Elizabeth
Discover Russell
It matters to know who is behind the science or any other claim you find in your research. Before evaluating the content of a source, first evaluate the credibility of the author(s).

Be Intentional
When you consume information, set expectations for the standard of quality and credibility you will accept. To meet your standards, you will need to actively avoid a binary bias. Consider the questions below; for each question, choose the description that best fits the given category.

Did you get frustrated when you were given only two options? Important issues open themselves to a diverse range of ideas, opinions, and perspectives—even in science. Intentionally look for the whole range when you are researching and target, like lost sheep, those sources that may be underrepresented. Get the full picture of the conversation around your topic by deliberately breaking free from your online algorithms.

What about flaws? Can a source be credible AND simultaneously have flaws?

Yes, absolutely. People are complex: they can be both right and wrong at the same time. Do some deeper lateral reading to search for the author’s motivation in addition to their reputation. Is their motivation problematic? Are they trying to deceive or cause confusion? Do they have a conflict of interest? Or are they doing the best they can with the information they have?

This teaching module has focused on how you construct authority. The next module explains the role that context plays in that construction project.