How I Research Candidates
Updated January 19, 2024
I am not a reporter and I do not do independent investigative reporting.
All my research is done online using Google as my search engine.
I do not share gossip, rumors, or allegations unless in a published article from a reputable source that includes both the allegation and the candidate’s response. I exercise personal judgment in choosing which articles to include or exclude in my posts.
I subscribe to NewsGuard Ratings to ensure that the websites publishing the articles I cite or rely on are trustworthy. NewsGuard is a journalism and technology tool that rates the credibility of news and information websites and tracks online misinformation. It labels news sources with either a green or red icon, indicating general trustworthiness and whether there is a history of running stories labeled as fake news. (Wikipedia, 02/20/21)
Florida Politics is one of the few websites that consistently follow Florida elections. Its NewsGuard rating is 69.5/100 — “credible with exceptions.” There are cautions in the areas of “gathers and presents information responsibly” and “handles the difference between news and opinion responsibly,” which I take into account when I use it as a source.
The Paradise Progressive follows Southwest Florida politics. It is a blog published by David Silverberg’s Silverberg Independent Media. While it is not affiliated with any political party or organization, its editorial slant is decidedly progressive. Nonetheless, its reporting appears to me to be objective. It does not have a NewsGuard rating.