Prophetic Documenting
Understanding Sources
Deposit Photos. Used with permission.
UNDERSTANDING SOURCES IS CRITICAL TO DOCUMENTATION
As we previously discussed, journalism is all about documentation – from being to end. It does not matter whether the journalist is working current news or investigating a historical piece. Documentation is critical.
In journalism, the term SOURCE is used to describe where the journalist obtains his or her information for their stories. That source can be another person, government record, object, or other documents that give relevant and timely information that can be used to authenticate or prove the story. The SOURCE always answers the question, “Where did this information come from?” with a direct response that says, "This information came from _______."
The word ATTRIBUTION refers to identifying the name of the source - literally. It answers the question, “Who gave you this information?” The response to this question is: "The source of this information is ____________.
In addition, there are two types of sources that journalists use. Period. So, no matter what you learned in school about sources for research -- know that different professions have different rules pertaining to what they consider a source. (SIDE NOTE: In college or university settings, research is conducted DIFFERENTLY... so the understanding of primary and secondary sources will be slightly different from that of journalists.)
There are two types of sources used in journalism:
Primary sources. Primary sources are considered to be the most reliable type of sources. They include the object, first-hand information, or the original source material. Some examples include video and audio recordings, diaries, emails, interviews, letters, patents, trademarks, court documents of all kinds, speeches, survey results, statistics, photographs, etc. For example, first-person accounts, interviews, certified birth certificates, etc. are examples that make sense when we are talking about documentation.
Secondary sources. Secondary sources are generally sources that analyze, interpret and/or summarize primary sources. These sources are "subjective" to the person who is interpreting or summarizing the information. These sources provide information about the object or event, but do not provide first-hand information or original artifacts. Some examples include news articles, bibliographies, biographies, histories, criticisms, journal articles, autobiographies, etc. Second-hand sources are important, but they should never be considered "primary."
All thorough documentation and research methods have this understanding of source material and processes. For the purpose of inclusive histories, as we are discussing in this course, original material is preferred. If you are documenting your church, a family history, your local school's response to the COVID-19 Pandemic, etc., then we can see why and how important primary sources are. Think of it this way, it is better to interview the teachers and students affected directly than it is to listen to someone tell you HOW those students and teachers are affected. Speaking to them directly gives you a first-hand view. Asking other people how they were affected is secondary.
Yet, both have value to the historical narrative.
To perfect our documentation process, the understanding of sourcing is "critical!" It's the difference between grabbing hold of fake news, conspiracy theories, and hypothetical information to gathering content from credible sources that present factual information. History is based on gathering as much information from primary sources as possible and interpreting it in our time.
With this understanding, fake news is simply UNSOURCED AND UNDOCUMENTED information. It's not a person's opinion about whether or not something is or is not news. In the news industry, it is literally about "what can be presented" using primary sources. It is about fraudulent documentation and unofficial evidence. This is an academic and historical truth... and is not based on opinion.
When real documentation presents itself, the documents (including objects) speak to and for us, helping people now and in the future properly interpret our histories. In the example I have given about the documenting teacher and student experiences during this pandemic, we can look at it this way: The experiences of students and teachers in a wealthy part of town at one school will probably be different from the experiences of teachers and students in a marginalized town that is largely ignored. However, documenting the experiences of both -- presented a broader view and gives everyone a voice.
Documentation is not about whether or not WE LIKE a particular account or picture that is presented. Rather, it is about having those different perspectives available --- because they all speak into a collective narrative that history interprets.
Many people don’t realize this, but our bibles are based on primary sources. Certain books of the Bible are not included in some canons because scholars were not able to agree on the authenticity of the sources. This is why HOW WE DOCUMENT matters. The more credible the sources, the more accurate the interpretation of history can be - regardless of the types of artifacts presented.
I know I've given you quite a bit of information to consider in this section.
THIS IS WHY:
EVERYTHING WE HAVE DISCUSSED UP TO NOW HAS BUILT UP TO UNDERSTANDING THAT "SOURCING" IS THE HEART OF DOCUMENTATION! This is the basis of every tool that I am releasing to you from this point forward.
Failure to understand the importance of sourcing will make or break a "documentation" project. In addition, it breaks the back of credibility, and NO ONE will take the project seriously.
In addition, sourcing is not based on one's feelings concerning what is true and what is not. It is based on what is reported to the writer, what is revealed to the researcher or what artifacts are identified and what they tell us. Real journalism is based on this.
For example, we can say that the "gospels" are real because a true, ancient document exists from which the text is translated into other languages. In addition, we have eyewitnesses from centuries past that reference and wrote about these documents in the time in which they were circulating in society. These artifacts are indeed "proof" or "evidence" that verifies these accounts are real. How a person interprets these texts is something completely different. In fact, the artifact is what it is. It is the interpretation of the artifact that often causes greater issue. This is why primary sources are so critical. They help us "interpret" in an appropriate way.
Before moving forward, watch these super short videos below to bring this conversation into clarity. The video is used for educational purposes, which is legal use in this course.