How To Become News Literate

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. 

The Importance of News Literacy in Young Voters

By: Cecile Nienstedt

Voting is often dismissed as a modern inconvenience—especially in local elections. Voting is a habit enforced and formed over time. Young people are voting less often because they have had less time to form and reinforce the habit of participating in elections. 

Many grew up in households that did not participate in elections; therefore, it was never reinforced. These experiences can create “habitual nonvoters” to “habitual voters,” stated Eric Plutzer, a political scientist at Penn State. Everyone is impacted by what their friends and peers do. However, older people are more likely to have witnessed friends casting ballots over the course of several election cycles.

Another reason for the recent downward trend of Gen-Z voters correlates to a recent poll conducted by Morning Consult that researched patriotic sentiment in America. Gen-Z adults have much lower trust in U.S. government institutions than older generations. They are also much less likely than other groups to say they are proud to live in the U.S. Voting is considered a “patriotic duty”—therefore, the level of patriotism and voter turnout are both relatively low in Gen-Z.

This is an opportunity to improve U.S. patriotism by advocating for Gen-Z to participate in local and national elections to create changes to the government. To achieve justice or reform, we must use the ability to vote for our policymakers. This is possible through news literacy skills and practicing your right to vote. 

To encourage future generations of voters, we rely on our ability to trust information that affects our daily lives. Using news literacy tools such as RumorGuard or Checkology makes checking facts simpler than ever before. Being informed before you vote is a critical responsibility, and we all share it as U.S. citizens to make a difference in our local community and nationally. 

The Role of News Literacy in the Entertainment Industry

By: Riley Kruer

It’s a tale as old as time: you wake up in the morning and begin to scroll through social media only to find a video online teasing an upcoming movie. Excited, you click on it and watch the entire thing. It looks incredible, and you scroll down the comments to see many others sharing your sentiments. However, your excitement quickly fades as you see multiple comments stating that the video is fake. You pull on your detective cap and very quickly see that the trailer isn’t as accurate as you once thought. 

Now, when people think of fake news, they think of topics such as politics and healthcare, and rightfully so. With the rise of social media, many people are intentionally and unintentionally sharing things that aren’t true or distorted to fit a particular agenda. Unfortunately, fake news is not limited to these serious topics. They have made their way into the entertainment industry as well, in music, television and film. 

The most common form of misinformation in the entertainment industry comes in the form of hoaxes and fake leaks, which are actually a form of disinformation. To clarify, disinformation is defined as deliberate and malicious content used intentionally to mislead, while misinformation is defined as false or inaccurate information. Whether it be fake trailers like in the scenario listed above or a slew of fake tweets from your favorite actor, news literacy is arguably just as important in the entertainment industry as it is with more serious subjects. 

So, what are some good ways to become more news literate when you’re reading news about your favorite shows or celebrities? Well, thankfully, organizations like the News Literacy Project have many resources and tips for people to use. However, if you’re more of a detective and want to figure these kinds of things out for yourself, keep these tips in mind:

1. Ask yourself who created the content you’re looking at. If the source isn’t reputable or doesn’t have a ton of knowledge on the subject, perhaps give the information a second thought.

2. Is the headline trying to clickbait me? Does the headline seem like it's trying to elicit an emotional response from you? If so, it may not be as credible as you initially thought. 

3. Check other sources. If you’re like me and can’t always determine whether or not something is true, it helps to visit other sources that you know are credible and see if they have covered the topic. 

If you’re interested in news literacy and want to explore more tips and resources, please visit newslit.org to check out the News Literacy Project's resources. They have great tools that people of all ages and backgrounds can use to determine whether or not the latest trailer of your favorite movie is real or just trying to hype you up. 

What is a News Desert?

By: Katie Haley

News deserts are rural or urban communities with limited access to the sort of credible,  comprehensive news and information that feeds democracy at the grassroots level. More than 200 counties in America are considered news deserts with no access to a newspaper. News deserts are becoming more frequent in our country, making it more difficult for Americans to have reliable news outlets. New deserts are becoming most prominent in rural regions where media sectors are not being recognized or reached. 

You may be asking, why is this happening? The answer is simple. Print news has seen a major decline within the last decade. News organizations are failing to adapt and produce an alternative. This is because of the shift in the business model. After our country suffered a massive public health crisis where reliable news was more important than ever, organizations lost funds and employees to adjust accordingly. Consequently, this left journalists and reporters without jobs.

Without reliable news sources, people are turning to social media, which isn’t always credible. For example, Facebook pages are people's opinions and not factual news. The opposite, however, is those community members that are not digitally connected and go without being informed. Individuals that are not informed or able to plug into those proper news outlets can affect more than just themselves, but the community at large. 

The News Literacy Project is a nonpartisan national education nonprofit. They launched a campaign in 2022 to help new consumers identify factual news. The campaign was focused on “being informed, not misled.” For information and resources, visit newslit.org. 

Communicate Critically

By: Leona Falconer

Without context and consideration, information posted online can cause irreversible damage. News consumers have endless resources to seek information, but it can be challenging to discern credible sources from misleading ones.

This can cause disinformation to spread in the form of hoaxes, propaganda and conspiracy theories. It is in all of our hands to combat misinformation and spread credible communications through the practice of news literacy.

Creating a news-literate society starts at the source – with journalists. They safeguard the public from misinformation and promote unbiased news coverage.

Reporters must follow a strict code of ethics to seek the truth and report it accurately and transparently. Quality news organizations commit to not just reporting the facts but backing it up with reputable data and sources. This means providing context and explaining how they collected it, analyzed it, built their database and made it verifiable.

However, this isn’t always the case in online news reporting today. Consumers must also practice news literacy in order to sift through the constant barrage of information and conflicting stories.

The public must also be mindful of the information they share or repost. News consumers are an important piece of the news cycle and also contribute to the discourse that takes place online. They can be just as responsible for the spread of misinformation as news organizations and journalists.

With this in mind, news consumers must actively work to hone their news literacy skills to stay sharp and keep on top of the constant barrage of information. A fantastic resource to learn about and practice news literacy is the News Literacy Project.

This nonpartisan education nonprofit offers platforms, apps, tips and quizzes to hone your news literacy skills. Take advantage of their free resources to become a more engaged and empowered member of society!

Debunk Misinformation

By: Molly Anderson

In today’s digital world, we are constantly bombarded by news and information from a variety of sources. So, how do we know what to believe and what sources to trust? The first step is to learn the fundamentals of news literacy. But what’s news literacy, and why is it important? Let’s begin!

Without news literacy, we’d be lost in our social feeds and drowning in disinformation. Today, the truth and facts compete for attention against viral rumors and conspiracy theories, but news literacy can teach you how to think about the news and information you encounter on a daily basis and how to combat disinformation.

It may seem overwhelming at first; however, organizations and resources are available to guide you on your journey to becoming news literate. The News Literacy Project (NLP) is a nonpartisan education non-profit building a national movement to create a more news-literate America. The NLP defines news literacy as “the ability to determine the credibility of news and other information and to recognize the standards of fact-based journalism to know what to trust, share and act on.”

While the media strives to be transparent, as news consumers, we must also engage and become more news-literate to debunk the misinformation we are confronted with every day. With the technology we have at our fingertips, it is easy for a rumor to spread, a picture to be taken out of context or opinions and perspectives to be taken as the truth. We each have a role and a responsibility to close the credibility gap and stop misinformation.

By using the NLP’s tools and resources, we can learn how to identify what news and information we can trust, share and act on, to become better-informed, more engaged and empowered in our democracy.

Don’t get caught off guard. Use RumorGuard!

RumorGuard is a platform that teaches people how to identify credible information and debunk viral rumors. The platform uses real-world examples of misinformation and provides an overview of fact-checks by walking users through the process of evaluating how and why a rumor might be false. Each post teaches and uses five major factors of credibility that users can learn to apply to evaluate other questionable claims they may encounter online.

The NLP’s five factors are:

• Source: Has the information been posted by a credible source?

• Evidence: Is there evidence that proves the claim is true?

• Context: Is the context accurate?

• Reasoning: Is the claim based on sound, valid reasoning?

• Authenticity: Is the information authentic, or has it been edited, changed or completely made up?

Test your knowledge with Quizzes!

How news-literate are you? Test and sharpen your news literacy skills with short activities, engaging quizzes and shareable graphics.

Identify credible news and reliable sources with Checkology!

The NLP has a free e-learning platform for the public. Checkology’s interactive lessons are taught by journalists and media experts, featuring real-world examples from social media and news sites. Each lesson aims to empower consumers to identify credible information and understand the importance of a free press.

Practice your news literacy skills on Informable!

With the NLP’s free mobile app, you can practice four distinct news literacy skills in a game-like format:

• Distinguishing news reports from opinion pieces.

• Advertisements from other types of information.

• False claims from credible evidence.

• Fact-based statements from opinion-based statements.

Learn about news literacy issues with Is that a fact? podcast!

The NLP’s podcast, Is that a fact?, informs listeners about news literacy issues that affect their lives through informal conversations with experts working to combat misinformation.

For more information about news literacy or the News Literacy Project, visit https://newslit.org/