It may be a surprise to learn that there is such a thing as 'good information' and 'bad information'. The qualities that distinguish the good from the bad are very simple, yet can sometimes be overlooked in the drive to get whatever message there is, out there. Quality information depends upon many things, but the most important are all interlinked: clarity, integrity, flexibility, accuracy, availability.
There is simply no point in having information and trying to present it if the message is not clearly constructed and displayed. Where important information needs to be conveyed to as many individuals as possible, it must be kept brief and must be easily understood. Symbols may be preferable to words. It is imperative to avoid the use of jargon at all times.
Clarity covers not only the language used to convey the information, but also the presentation of the information whether it is visible, audible or conveyed by any other means. When presenting a piece of information, you must not only consider what you are saying, but also who you are saying it to. It is important to recognize the age, gender, social grouping and nationality of your target audience amongst other things.
If the information is being presented visually by using text, consider the typeface used. Does it match the tone of the information? The use of images and the media that the information is presented on must also support the information itself. You must also take into consideration the physical and mental abilities of your audience. For example, you may have to produce a separate form of the information that those with limited sight can read.
The integrity of any information will dictate how well it is received and acted upon. Passing on second-hand information from a third-party source does not have the integrity that information gathered directly from a primary source has. Information given by a credible and trusted individual or organisation also carries more weight than when it is given from a little-known source.
This is one reason why many information campaigns use celebrities who are perceived to be trusted, such as Stephen Fry or Sharon Osbourne in the UK, to deliver the message. The public is more likely to listen to a celebrity that they have a level of affection for, than someone who the public do not trust.
Information and the way it is delivered must be flexible. It must have the ability to be updated, changed or withdrawn at a moment's notice. The core message must be delivered in a variety of formats so that the widest possible section of society can benefit.
The public do not like to be misled, and can become hostile towards sources of information very quickly if they feel that an inconsistent message or an unreliable source is being used. The accuracy of the information given must be as high as possible. Accuracy and flexibility are strongly linked, as the content of information, in a medical campaign for example, can change over time as new studies report different findings. For most people, the inclusion of a lot of supporting information is not important, they just want to know the facts in bite-size chunks that are simple and easy to remember.
Finally, information must be freely available to those who need it. Naturally there are some kinds of information that for safety and security of the public need to be kept within a very limited distribution. But for the most part, information is what drives a society's expansion and improvement.
It is essential that individuals have access to all the information they need on services, legislation, health matters and things that effect their daily lives. Secrecy breeds mistrust, which can damage the reputation of an information source just when it needs to be listened to the most.
Good information is crucial to a productive society. By considering all of the 5 qualities of good information, you can be sure to get your message across effectively.