Does the speaker cite credible sources?
Does the speaker cite credible sources? Ethical speakers specify the credentials of their sources. When the credentials are left out or described in vague terms, the testimony may be questionable. We recently found an advertisement for a health food product that contained “statements by doctors.” A quick check of the current directory of the American Medical Association revealed that only one of the six “doctors” cited was a member of the AMA and that his credentials were misrepresented. Always ask yourself, “Where does this information come from?” and “Are these sources qualified to speak on the topic?” This was a major problem during the recent investigation of President Bill Clinton: Many media outlets during that time quoted unnamed or anonymous sources for the “facts” they were reporting. This created a formidable barrier to critical thinking by making it hard to judge the reports intelligently.
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