Credibility is a quality that allows something to be worthy of belief. It could be a news report, advertisement, television show, or an individual. Another way of assessing credibility is to ask yourself, "Is it believable?"
 

Assessing credibility is not the identification of facts and truths. Mass media may be used to persuade or sway an opinion. You should be aware of the credibility of your information sources. A number of factors contribute to being a "credible" source of information. Some important criteria you can use when assessing the credibility of information received from mass media are:* Objectivity and Bias Accessibility Freedom to Report Currency Relative Expertise

Not all media sources are credible.

The next few pages will cover each of these factors in more detail.