It's essential to check a company's website for:
You should also analyze competitor company websites for comparison/contrast.
"...published especially for those who don’t want to read piles of business facts but need to know what to make of them."
Forbes is a global media company that publishes both a popular print magazine and a multi-faceted web resource covering global business issues. The site offers an array of old and new media including daily reporting, podcasts, brand marketing feeds and a video channel, while the company brand has expanded to include conferences on a variety of topics.
Look for company information submitted to the Internal Revenue Service, including Form 990.
Be wary of corporate website content! While it is useful to visit corporate websites to gain an understanding of the information and image that the individual company is looking to portray, this information should not be mistaken for unbiased reporting/data. Content on a corporate website may be editorial (created by the company to promote a particular point of view) or even written by an outside source (third party) for use in promotion of a particular product or brand. Several prominent corporate websites - including Forbes, Fast Company and Huffpost - have recently come under fire for masking such outside content (for which writers are paid) as unbiased reporting. Don't be fooled - always consider the potential bias of a source and refer to suggested MU databases when applicable.
Need help? Refer to MU's information literacy & "fake news" research guide, or to the media bias ranking resource below:
Company websites can be complicated. Look for sitemap to locate specific materials, or use this handy trick:
Example: www.forbes.com: Jobs
Google will then display direct links to the jobs and careers section of the company website.