The greater the expertise of the reporter or author, the higher the credibility of the report. 
 

Many people are presented as experts in the media.  Whenever possible, it is important to assess their relative expertise for yourself.  The key question to consider is: "How do they know?" Have they studied extensively in this field?  Have they lived in the area?  Do they have specialized knowledge pertaining to the issue in question? While everyone is entitled to their opinion, some opinions carry more weight than others. For instance, when addressing safety issues in nuclear power, a nuclear physicist has more relative expertise than an English professor.

Are the authors of the information experts in their field?