WHAT MAKES A WEB SITE CREDIBLE?

By: Carl Sullivan The Consumers Union Looks For Answers


When the Consumers Union announced its Web Credibility Project
earlier this year, some journalists snickered. Would the Yonkers,
N.Y.-based publisher of Consumer Reports magazine rate
news Web sites the same way it ranks cars or refrigerators?

The answer is no, said Beau Brendler, a veteran journalist who is
the director of the project. "We're not here to subject news Web
sites to a variety of criteria, and give them 'thumbs up' and
'thumbs down' ratings," he told E&P Online. "But what we are
going to do is test the things that consumers are worried about
and find out how sites do. Are privacy policies posted? What
kinds of disclosure do sites provide?"

The project's core mission is "to establish, promote, and win
adherence for core standards to help ensure the credibility of
information on the Internet," according to the May press release
that announced the hire of Brendler, who most recently worked as
editorial director for ABCNews.com, where he was employed for
just over four years.

To kick off the project, Brendler is looking at existing and
ongoing research into what makes Web sites credible, including a
study at Stanford University. "We want to find out what
credibility means to consumers," he said. One theme that is
emerging is that credibility seems to be tied to disclosure.

Ultimately, the project hopes to educate both Web publishers and
consumers. For example, the project might do a report on how Web
sites use cookies. The Consumers Union would likely survey Web
sites to see how they use cookies and whether or not they
disclose that information to their users. Best practices would
likely be noted, as would worst.

The project might also look at how easy (or difficult) it is for
consumers to contact editors of news Web sites.

This information will be published in Consumer Reports and
on a special Web site to be built for the Web Credibility
Project. Brendler expects that site, which will include original
reporting on Web privacy and government regulation, to be online
within 90 days.

When asked if Consumer Reports would become a watchdog of
news sites, Brendler replied, "Watchdog is sort of a loaded term.
... We're not here to be press critics."

At the same time, Brendler wants to address those issues that
cause consumers to distrust the Web. He said the report released
this week by the Markle Foundation shows that many consumers are
concerned about the safety of their interactions on the Internet.
That includes e-commerce and information sites.

Brendler points out that the project isn't just for news sites.
The effort will also look at Web sites on health, travel,
finance, and shopping.

The project is supported by grants from the Pew Charitable
Trusts, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, and the Open
Society Institute, which was created by George Soros. Brendler
said the project is willing to work with the journalism
community, including the Online News Association (ONA), which is
currently conducting its own credibility study, expected to be
finished this fall. The project may promote best practices or
standards developed by the ONA or other organizations.

As a journalist, Brendler said he confronted many of the issues
his new project will tackle. In his previous jobs, "We were
always trying to figure out the best way to do partnerships or to
label advertising on the Web," he said. "There wasn't an
instruction book for any of that."

Before joining ABC News, Brendler was news editor for
PoliticsNow.com, the now-defunct joint operation of The
Washington Post Co., National Journal Group, and ABC. Previously,
he was editor in chief at Washington Technology magazine
and a reporter and assistant city editor for the Anchorage
(Alaska) Times, which has ceased publication.



Carl Sullivan (csullivan@editorandpublisher.com) is editor of E&P Online.



Copyright 2001, Editor & Publisher.