Most news sources won't say whether they hold a liberal or a conservative bias, but a bias in reporting can drastically alter the way the media reports a story. These sites help determine actual facts and media bias.
Evaluating websites can be a tricky business. Whereas books and articles clearly state authors, and very often their credentials and sources, the web is an open content medium, meaning ANYone can publish ANYthing. This includes highly regarded professionals and experts, people trying to sell you something (a product, an opinion, an agenda), and people just using the web as a place to post their opinions.
It takes a careful eye to determine if content on the web is reliable enough to cite in an academic paper. Some important considerations:
A stakeholder is someone who has an investment or interest in a given topic or issue. For instance, if the topic is healthcare, some stakeholders would be:
Knowing who the stakeholders are allows you to evaluate why the information was produced, and who it is trying to influence. (For instance is an article written by a research physician about a new drug going to have the same stakeholders as an article written by the pharmaceutical company that produces that drug?)
If you're not sure who the stakeholders may be for an issue:
Don't overlook one of your best resources - your Gallucci-Cirio Librarians! Need help getting started, developing your search strategy, focusing your topic and selecting "keywords", deciding what type of resources you need as well as how to use them? The librarians are here to assist you whether you have a home work assignment or an indepth research project to complete.