Which term describes sources with established expertise considered as authoritative on the subject matter?

• A. Authority of the source
• B. Timeliness
• C. Library
• D. Indigenous Knowledge

Answer: (A)

Authority of the source describes sources that have established expertise and are recognized as authoritative on the topic. In media literacy, we judge information by who stands behind it—their credentials, experience, institutional ties, and past work—since these factors signal that the material is likely accurate and well-supported. For example, a climate scientist with peer‑reviewed research is considered an authority on climate topics, so their information is given more trust. Timeliness is about how current the information is, not the level of expertise. A library is a place that holds information, not a measure of who is an expert. Indigenous Knowledge refers to knowledge from Indigenous communities and can be authoritative in its own domain, but the term described here is specifically about recognized expertise and credibility in the subject matter.