Why do people ask for a source, then complain about the source when it is posted??

Question

I see many questions where someone answers "asking" for a source. THEN when the source is given, the response is " Oh, that is (Fox news, mediamatters, wherever) that is an ultra left/right wing outfit. They can't be trusted."
So, is the question " Give me a reliable source?" And where are the reliable sources?

Answer 1

I agree. I think people should provide sources if they declare that Nevada attacked Ohio.

Providing the source helps in several ways. First it shows what kind of person the questioner is by what site they use. Next, once you have the basics of the statements, you can do your own research about the topic and see if other sites agree with the questioner's site. Easy to prove it wrong that way. How long do people think Fox News would last if they lied all the time in a world where you can find so much information.

I think most of the ones that complain about the source are simply finding an easy way to get out of debating what they are claiming.

Answer 2

Depends on the type of question you're answering. If you're providing data to support an answer, the data and/or study itself is the best source so the reader can evaluate it himself. Government data, independent organizations, and university studies are usually the best choice.



If you're supporting a particular interpretation of the data, news analysts are a valid source, including Fox news. The reader can interpret the reliability of the source themselves. Using a pro-left or pro-right political website as a source isn't worthless, but it definitely has some big limitations in value as a source.



Independent news organizations are usually better. Fox news and perhaps MSNBC don't have a reputation for being particularly neutral in their opinions, however. O'Reilly and Olbermann wind up being two sides of the same coin - one pushing viewpoints from the right and the other pushing viewpoints from the left.



There's a reason CNN prohibits its reporters from contributing to political campaigns. It helps protect the image that CNN is a neutral and objective news source. I think their reporters probably lean a little to the left in their personal views and that seeps out a little in their news analysis, but the network at least tries to keep personal views in check. Other major news sources, such as the Washington Post, also at try to provide a neutral, objective viewpoint. All in all, I don't think their entirely successful, mainly because more liberals aspire to journalism than conservatives, but the effort is still important in giving the news organization some credibility.

Answer 3

If someone says something that sounds one-sided and biased and then gives a source which is one-sided and biased, what do you expect?



The reason they asked for the source is probably because they suspected it was not a reliable one, so that is probably why they then point that out.



If someone makes a claim and can only point to an opinion piece by the Heritage Foundation, that will probably be considered a weak source.



But if someone makes a claim against the Bush adminstration, for example, and as evidence cites a report from the Bush administration's own peole in the Dept of Justice or Dept of Labor, that would be considered a very strong bit of evidence since if one was to claim that organization was biased you would have to assume they were biased in the opposite direction of the person making the argument.

Answer 4

When people ask for a source they mean an unbiased source. When only one media outlet is discussing a topic and that outlet is obviously biased one way or the other it is not really considered credible. So when people ask for a source they are seeking a credible source. Maybe what you need to do is to provide different sources that say the same thing and that their general bias is all different.



Using Fox news, media matters, Washington Post and only those show a definite bias. If you were to give references to Fox news, New York Times and maybe MSNBC you might be seen as providing credible sources. Then people wouldn't carp about the sources you provide.

Answer 5

Well... I think this has been answered pretty well, but wanted to add something...



If you're quoting "Media Matters" then it's already a foregone conclusion that it's going to be Hillary propaganda, so it's a waste of time even using that as a source.

If you're quoting the NY Times, we all know it's going to have a Liberal bent to it.

That's like a conservative quoting Ann Coulter.



A lot of times, it's worse. I've seen environmental questions where the quoted source isn't even a scientific journal or site but rather an entertainment one.

That's ridiculous, no?

"Global Warming is true disaster" says Kermit the Frog. "It's not easy being green but we all have to do our best!"

Answer 6

It really depends on the story. If it's an AP wire story, generally the source - no matter what it is - is credible to some degree. If it's a blog or editorial, or fringe 'news' sources like The Huffington Post, Little Green Footballs, or the like - not so credible.

Answer 7

I asked a question similar to this one also, wanting to know what source is acceptable. The answer is one that does not support your conclusion, but supports my conclusion. It's a sad commentary on Americans when they no longer seek the truth, but seek self serving and often lies that support their misguided conclusions just so they can feel right, not necessarily be right.

Answer 8

Some people on here just like to argue. Some are in such a hurry they either don't read the question right or don't even get it. Some people wouldn't accept the truth if it smacked them in the face. I have to wonder why they all pick "politics" to come to.

Answer 9

Most questions and answers are opinion and there is never a source except someones guess, educated in politics or not.

Answer 10

Reliable sources are sources that can be verified with more than one source and generally report facts not partisan propaganda.

Answer 11

If I were to tell you that North Dakota was sold to Canada last week, would you not want a source to back that up?



If I told you my source was my little sister, would you not complain that that is a weak source?

Answer 12

They dont really want a source. They want to make you look stupid and themselves look intellectually bright. of course they're not to begin with.

Answer 13

I don't know.

You should have the answer for this already. As well as for all other questions.

Answer 14

Do you have any sources for your supposition?

Answer 15

idk