A Guide to Source Analysis

1 May

Written By: Harald Elbe

The recent media circus concerning the supposed ill-health of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, now debunked by the release of footage of him alive and well,(1) has demonstrated the necessity of analysing sources of information critically. This article will provide a framework to analyse a source and demonstrate it by applying it to the article from which the claims of Kim’s deteriorated health originated.(2)

The first step in analysing a source is laying out its key features: what is the form of the source, is it an article, opinion piece or analysis; who created the source, when and where did they do this; and what the key claim of the source is.

In this case, the source is an article published by Daily NK, an online newspaper which is run from South Korea by South Koreans and is funded by the American National Endowment for Democracy,(3) on the twentieth of April, reporting on the supposed ill-health of Kim Jong-Un.

“It goes without saying that the article is not primarily concerned with the truth of the matter, which is a major dent in the reliability of its claims”

After laying out these facts, the perspective of the source can be gleaned by taking a closer look at the who, when and where of the source. This is often as simple as finding the equivalent to an “about us” section on the website or, where one does not exist, basic background information can often be found on Wikipedia.

By applying the above method to the Daily NK article, it is possible to discern a strong anti-DPRK bias. Originating in South Korea, it is influenced by extreme anti-communist sentiment, indeed communism has effectively been made illegal there4, as well as that nation’s open hostility towards its Northern counterpart. Further reinforcing this is that Daily NK’s principal source of funding is the National Endowment for Democracy, an NGO funded by the American government which supports regime change efforts in line with US imperial policy.(5) This policy is hostile to the government of the DPRK and involves the funding of numerous organisations to disrupt the country.(6)

Having established the perspective of a source, the purpose can next be revealed. Here the form and any explicitly stated purpose should first be considered. However, this is not the be-all and end-all, rather a stepping stone towards a complete picture. After this, the perspective should be factored in to account for any ulterior motives, conflicts of interest or any other agenda the source may have.

“The Daily NK article makes its claims based on anonymous sources, which make them impossible to verify”

At face value, the purpose of the article being analysed appears to be to inform readers, in this particular case stating that Kim Jong-Un had undertaken cardiovascular treatment as a result of poor health and thus could not attend the biggest holiday in the country, the Day of the Sun. However, knowing that it has been produced by an explicitly anti-DPRK outfit who are part of a propaganda effort against the North self-admittedly bankrolled by the NED, which on numerous occasions has used similar tactics(7) to destabilise governments opposed to the United States, it would be more accurate to describe the article as a propaganda piece to undermine the North Korean government in line with American foreign policy. Based on this it goes without saying that the article is not primarily concerned with the truth of the matter, which is a major dent in the reliability of its claims.

Only after establishing the perspective and purpose of a source should the content itself be analysed thoroughly. The source’s citations must be scrutinised and followed back to their original source if possible. Their identity and on what basis they are making the claim should be established and then compared against independent sources on the matter as to whether they confirm or contradict the original source.

“Only through analysing the source rigorously can the truth be attained”

The Daily NK article makes its claims based on anonymous sources, which make them impossible to verify. This renders the claims as reliable as simple hearsay and rumour without any further evidence to support them and hence they should be taken with a grain of salt until further evidence from verifiable sources is presented. Comparing the article to others, the original article’s “corroboration” could come from subsequent articles in other outlets citing the original source. In this case here, despite the claim being contradicted by an official from the South Korean government only a day later,(8) the speculation was continued by other news outlets, notably CNN who fanned the speculation despite their original article containing the refutation by the South Korean government official.(9) From here, the story was picked up by other agencies and uncritically spread, indeed some reports amplifying the claim to Kim being in a “vegetative state,”(10) and even “dead.”(11)

Following this method it is possible to come to a genuine conclusion about the reliability of a source. Many who followed steps similar to the method outlined above came to the conclusion that nothing had happened to Kim Jong-Un weeks before his reappearance. The basis for this confidence was the poor quality evidence provided to support the ill-health claim and contradictory evidence provided by superior sources.

Thus, when the ownership of media in Australia is one of the most concentrated in the world,(12) this recent debacle, where an unreliable source has been uncritically accepted on the whole by the media and the general population, should serve as a wakeup call on the absolute necessity of analysing news sources critically and not blindly accepting the narrative. Only through analysing the source rigorously can the truth be attained.