Data trust

Data is the foundation of pretty much everything we act on. There are many data sources, but how does one build trust in a data source? One way is through extensive investigative work. A specific news item is hard to verify if does not have a author name and source. Other data sources are aggregators, essentially collecting data, massaging it and then presenting it downstream. Aggregate sources of data require extensive investigative if one is to trust the data to construct information that decisions can be made. Information is like mining for gold a mountain of data noise. Information is based on trust. Hence, one must do due diligence in investigating that data and validating its accuracy before presenting it as information. Any evidence of falsehood will raise concerns and distrust. As we well know, once that trust is broken, it becomes very hard to gain back that trust.