What Is News Literacy?
Early literacy: How to start good news
The best way to start good news literacy is to start early. Children are bombarded by news from a variety of sources, and like adults, they can feel stressed and uncertain about what to believe.
Think Critically
Think critically. Kids evaluate media by looking at the messages, the information, and the key ideas. They learn to use examples to support their opinions.
They can make their own decisions based on what they know. Become a smart consumer. Kids learn how to determine if something is credible with media literacy.
It helps them determine the intent of advertising and resist the techniques marketers use to sell products. Media should be created in a responsible way. Understanding that your messages have an impact is a key to effective communication.
Understand the author's goal. What is the author's goal for the piece of media? Is it just information, or is it trying to change your mind and discover new things?
Kids can make informed choices when they understand what influence something has. It's not important for parents to tell kids if something is right when teaching media literacy. The process is more of an exchange of ideas.
The Nonpartisan Project at the Annenberg Public Policy Center
The nonpartisan project of the University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg Public Policy Center monitors the accuracy of what politicians, TV ads, debates, interviews and news releases say. David Mikkelson runs a website called Snopes that is nonpartisan and researches urban legends. It is often the first to debunk fake news claims.
The Washington Post Fact checker has excellent checks and is reliable. They may fact check conservative claims more than liberal ones. Major news outlets and professional journalists are not immune to bias.
An article may tell a bigger story. It could be misleading. The media reports the breaking stories.
Search for updates. News sources include opinion pieces, commentary, editorials and advertisements. Be aware of the information's meaning.
News sources are either right or left leaning. Some admit their bias, but not others. Try to verify or corroborate the information in multiple sources.
The New York Times' Judith Miller Resigns
The New York Times asked Judith Miller to resign in 2005 after it became clear her reporting about the Iraq war was wrong. The Times critiqued its own editorial process. Accountability is also a part of that.
The ACRL Board of Directors
The ACRL Board adopted the 'Framework for Information Literacy' in January of 2016 and Madison College Libraries are committed to moving students towards it.
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