Head of Digital Media and Innovation at Global Media Alliance, Eli Daniel-Wilson has shared per his in-depth knowledge, some steps to guide one in filtering a credible website from a non-credible one.
In an interview with Samuel Eshun during the maiden edition of eTV Ghana’s “Facts Sheets”, he mentioned that the general public being media consumers, owe it to themselves to be careful and be circumspect in the source from which we consume our media.
He noted that when it comes to websites and detecting their credibility, longevity is one factor that should not be overlooked.
“Who has been around long enough? Who has had a track record of providing true information? That is the first step to filter out what is credible information and what is not”, said the expert.
Eli advised that it is very easy for anyone to get a website these days, hence it is also easy for anyone to put out non-credible information and this is where the longevity of the website helps to prove whether or not it has been and is still a credible one.
He again tipped that people keep in mind the fact that they are not limited to consuming information from one website, hence depending on the type of information being researched on, the consumer is free to build their facts with information from other sites as well.
“Make sure the site where you’re consuming your information from has the credibility and track record. When you’re consuming content, also make sure the source of that information can be traced. If you’re reporting on coronavirus or politics or sports or even football, for instance, you can always trace back to the original website of the clubs”, he added.
The digital expert went on to share a second tip which can help to easily filter a website’s credibility and legitimacy. He revealed that websites with country extensions like “.com.gh” etc are usually trustworthy as it requires more information and documents to register such domains.
“If you’re consuming content from that website, at least you have the belief that there’s due diligence that has been done by the body that governs that domain as opposed to the simple .com websites that I can literally buy tonight and be live tomorrow morning”, Eli Daniel-Wilson furthered.
He concluded on the last tip, advising people to look out for websites that have their links starting with “https” as the ‘S’ is a sign that the website has a security layer installed.
By: Maureen Dedei Quaye
