By: Cydney Foster
With the recent growth of digital media, traditional media seems to slowly lose its grasp on society. As the digital world grows in size, printed publications disappear everywhere. With the disappearance of newspapers, news deserts have started to form, and people are beginning to turn to social media for their daily news. How does this impact our nation's new literacy?
News literacy is the ability to use critical thinking to evaluate the credibility behind information, whether it is print, TV, or the internet. Thinking critically when getting news is especially important in today's digital age. News is everywhere, but not all news is accurate news.
The overwhelming amount of information that floods us each day makes it difficult to sort out reliable information over fabricated information. With this, we as a society must learn how to engage with all types of news properly. In order to do this, it is important to know what kind of false information lurks online.
Misinformation is defined as false or inaccurate information, especially when it is deliberately intended to deceive. Misinformation has become a growing problem in recent years, with social media becoming people’s main source of information. When individuals see something on social media that aligns with their current beliefs, they tend to think it is factual despite it having no facts to back it up. There are multiple ways misinformation can present itself on social media.
What influences people to trust misinformation? Confirmation bias. Confirmation bias is the tendency of people to seek out information that supports the views they already hold. This can be very dangerous as it leads people to believe things on social media regardless of factual evidence.
Confirmation bias can easily lead us to reach inaccurate –and even unethical– conclusions. It is imperative that individuals develop an awareness of their own confirmation bias and stop them ahead of the tracks.
Sharing misinformation can be completely unintentional, but in some situations, there is the intent behind sharing misinformation. This is referred to as disinformation.
Disinformation is false or misleading information that is knowingly and intentionally created in order to deceive individuals. Individuals who interact/share information to deceive are unknowingly spreading misinformation.
What are some ways you as an individual can become more news literate? First, you can practice fact-checking and verifying information you see online.
If you see something that seems outrageous, do your own research on the story. Always be skeptical when reading anything online. It is important to find at least two other credible sources reporting on the topic. Always follow factual evidence whenever you consume sources of information.
You should also limit how much you rely on emotional responses. This can be challenging, but it is important to look at information objectively, especially news. We, as humans, tend to override our rational thought processes when emotions get in the way. If you see information online that is trying to pull you in emotionally, make sure you research to ensure it is reliable.
Being news literate in today’s age is difficult — but not impossible. If you are aware of the different forms of misinformation and how they manifest on social media, you are able to practice news literacy in your daily life.
For more information and tools about news literacy, check out Newslit.org. The News Literacy Project offers many services for individuals looking to become more news literate in their daily lives.