Donna LeValley

Donna LeValley joined Kiplinger as a personal finance writer in 2023. She spent more than a decade as the contributing editor of J.K.Lasser޴Your Income Tax Guide and edited state specific legal treatises at ALM Media.

Biography:  https://www.kiplinger.com/author/donna-levalley

64%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermines the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
Analysis.OverallConflictOfInterestScore * 0.3F + Analysis.OverallBiasScore * 0.3F + Analysis.DeceptivenessScore * 0.3F + Analysis.ReadabilityScore * 0.1F

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

The Daily's Verdict

This author has a mixed reputation for journalistic standards. It is advisable to fact-check, scrutinize for bias, and check for conflicts of interest before relying on the author's reporting.

Bias

85%

Examples:

  • The article highlights the upcoming change in Costco's policy to require membership cards for hotdog and soda purchases. The author presents this as a negative development that will limit access to these items.
  • The author uses sensational language such as 'legendary' and '$1.50 hotdog deal' to create an emotional response from the reader.

Conflicts of Interest

50%

Examples:

  • The author does not provide any information about potential conflicts of interest in the article.
  • There is no indication that the author has a personal stake in this issue or may benefit from one side of it.

Contradictions

85%

Examples:

  • The article states that Costco will require proof of membership at their outdoor food courts before dispensing any cheap hotdogs. However, it also mentions that Costco has been testing plans to require members to scan their cards before entering stores since at least April 8th, 2024.
  • The author uses the phrase 'soon be out of reach for non-members' when describing the impact of this change on hotdog and soda purchases. However, it is unclear what time frame they are referring to.

Deceptions

50%

Examples:

  • The article presents Costco's decision to require membership cards for hotdog and soda purchases as a negative development that will limit access to these items.
  • There is no indication in the article that this change was made with any intention of deception or misleading information.

Recent Articles

Costco Cracks Down on Non-Members Eating at Food Courts

Costco Cracks Down on Non-Members Eating at Food Courts

Broke On: Tuesday, 26 March 2024 Costco is implementing a new policy that requires an active membership card to purchase food court items, effective April 8. This change aims to address member complaints about people sneaking into outdoor food courts and taking advantage of budget-friendly options like the hot dog combo.