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Timeliness: Within the last couple months

Accuracy: Written correctly, only newspaper writing about the topic.

Authority: Newspaper Editor

Point of View: Richmond, local news

Is one newspaper better than another?

Based on this article there was no other newspapers discussing this topic. Although generally newspapers vary in quality. Well known/ more popular newspapers tend to have better writers, editors, and experience.

Reliable, Valid, and Truthful

Background research

Research the newspaper

Examine the article to see if it is accurate, the author has authority, timeliness, and point of view.

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"VCU 'free speech ranking' plummets following degree controversy" by The Commonwealth Times

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"VCU 'free speech ranking' plummets following degree controversy" by The Commonwealth Times

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The article linked and in the title, is a very well done piece on the freedom of speech at our university. I wouldn't say it's perfect, but I can say it's valid because an author is identified, so we know who is talking. I can also say it's reliable, since it is an article published by an independent news press that has been around for a while (not funded/controlled by vcu, thus independent). And lastly, I know that the article is truthful because it provides the sources behind each statement linked. The press is transparent on who is staffed and the backgrounds of each staff member.

Comparing this to an article titled "CCPS Offers Free Telehealth Sessions For Student Mental Health" by The Gateway Reporter, we can see immediate differences. Firstly, we cannot speak to its reliability or validity, as it is a lesser known news press that does not list its staff members. Matter of fact, it doesn't even list the author of any article posted, preventing anyone from screening for author's bias. It's truthfulness is also questionable, as one of their claims about the school county's mental telehealth services reads: "most students reportedly improve within six sessions," yet provides no source for that. Most alarmingly, is a paragraph at the end of the article--one of five in the entire piece--that seems like randomly placed praise for the county's school board, a paragraph praising its graduation rate and its accolades. The article's thumbnail is also simply a headshot of the superintendent, instead of the actual subject of the article, which is the students and the new service. All in all, this article seems to be, if not biased, then very not-well done. I'd say The Commonwealth Times to be the better newspaper.

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VCU ‘free speech ranking’ drops following degree controversy The Commonwealth Times

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A leading free speech advocacy organization gave VCU a “D-” in their 2026 college free speech rankings, a significant drop compared to previous years. The ranking comes after three students had their degrees withheld for breaking campus policies during protests against the genocide in Gaza. The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, or FIRE, now ranks VCU as No. 79 out of 257 United States universities, 47 places lower than last year.

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Commonwealth Times: Opinions-- Why we're publishing articles in Spanish now and Old Dominion Reports: Cortes: 'Jones and Descant stand for excuses, chaos'

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Commonwealth Times: Opinions-- Why we're publishing articles in Spanish now and Old Dominion Reports: Cortes: 'Jones and Descant stand for excuses, chaos'

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After some brief analysis and comparisons between the two articles, CT seems to be the better newspaper. Although neither of them provides a specific author, CT left an editors note stating that their articles are written by the entirety of the CT staff editorial. They did a much better job providing factual information regarding the Trump administration's elimination of the White House's Spanish-language webpage, and they expanded on their role as a news publication to provide coverage that is limited elsewhere. Old Dominion's Article is along the lines of political slander. One of the runners Steve Cortes is providing information that does not really correlate to the issues he is telling the paper that his opponent is showing.

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House Delegate Earley calls Arlington protest sign: 'Disgusting. Disgraceful.' (Gateway Reporter)

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House Delegate Earley calls Arlington protest sign: 'Disgusting. Disgraceful.' (Gateway Reporter)

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There is no specific author other than just saying "gateway reporter" from the newspaper.

Accuracy: Provides a lot of quotes from other sources and written well.

Timeliness: Written very recently within the past few months.

Authority: They focus on local issues, especially on government affairs. Additionally, it is peer reviewed for accuracy.

Newspapers are not created equally since the people behind them are not the same. Not every newspaper company will put in the same effort to fact check and reduce bias on the articles they are producing. Additionally, certain groups or authors would increase the credibility of the news such as an event happening in a local area, a source from another country would not be as reliable. Another example would be taking medical advice from a doctor or from someone without any medical experience/knowledge. The doctor who has both more experience and knowledge, would be more credible. To find out if something is reliable, valid, and truthful, you have to check for the credibility of the author as well as fact checking the information.