government
Anyone with a computer and modem can become an electronic publisher of government on the Internet, disseminating information to a global audience. While this new medium explodes with government information, it also poses a vexing problem: How do you evaluate the quality of the government information? Just because a document appears online doesn’t mean it contains valid information. In fact online information demands close scrutiny.
The publishing world has a long tradition of journalistic standards to which print materials are held. Although many writers and publishers adhere to these standards when publishing on the Web, many don’t. It’s up to you to cast a critical eye, sorting government fact from fiction, actuality from opinion. Whether you are reading a printed article or an electronic one, a healthy dose of skepticism is in order even when it comes to our government recommendations.
