The Need For An Objective Website

We believe history shows that some Carefree residents, blogs and websites have been spreading misinformation for several years. Whether intentional or not, this can do damage to the fabric of our community.

For small communities, it is very difficult for readers to accurately evaluate the bias and truthfulness of emails they receive and websites they visit. In reporting, our goal at Carefree Unity is to adhere to the Code of Ethics of the Society of Professional Journalists. In opinion articles we seek clarity that these articles are presented as opinion only.

Background: Information sources that strive to make objective observations and publish fact-based reporting are community assets, but these types of resources are disappearing in the digital age. Local newspapers have been shrinking or closing, professional reporters on local beats are disappearing, and even professionally curated opinion and analysis has become less common. As a society, we are now less likely to get our news from unbiased sources, and consequently we often find it hard to agree with our neighbors even on basic facts.

Local blogs and websites largely fill in the vacuum created by the disappearance of traditional news outlets, but most have very definite points of view and lack real commitment to evidence-based analysis and reporting.  They tend to be devoted to specific worldviews (or community views) and tend to provide affirmation for those views. Most people want to know that what they are reading is true, but truth can be very hard for readers to determine.

Some tools exist to help separate fact from fiction. For example, NewsGuard is a highly respected tool which returns reliability ratings for websites that surface in search results (available by subscription for Chrome, FireFox and Safari, free on Edge). Though this is a useful and reliable tool for big websites, local sites for a town like Carefree are not covered by such tools. Here, sites must rely on the slow process of reputation-building through consistency in approach and accuracy in reporting.

We encourage Carefree residents to share their concerns and comments