"The term information cycle refers to the way information is processed and distributed and how it changes over time. It is usually used to describe the progression of media coverage relating to a particular newsworthy event or topic during which information goes through various stages of reporting and publication" ("Information Cycle", 2019).
The information cycle gives some insight into the reliability of information over time and informs about the availability of specific types of sources depending on the recency of a topic. It helps explains why there might not be many or any journal articles on a topic, though other factors may also impact the lack of scholarship.
"5 Reasons to Use Reference Sources" (2:42) by U of G Library is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
"Evaluating Sources to Find Quality Research" (5:27) is by PCC Library