Editorial
Do you know how to read the news?
We don’t just mean reading, but do you know how to discern what is legitimate news and what is not? Do you know the difference between news stories and opinions? Is this even important?
To answer our own question, yes, it’s extremely important. That’s why we’re joining other media organizations this week to promote the second annual National News Literacy Week.
What is news literacy? The Center for News Literacy at Stony Brook University School of Journalism has this to say:
“The flood of fake news, propaganda, rumors and advertising that often masquerade as news has made it harder than ever to separate fact from fiction.
“News literacy can help students of all ages recognize the differences between fact and rumor, news and advertising, news and opinion, and bias and fairness.”
We are bombarded with information these days through our phones, TVs, computers, newspapers and other publications. At times it can feel like trying to drink from a firehose. With so much information — and misinformation — it’s easy to understand how conspiracies such as QAnon, fake moon landings and widespread election fraud can take hold. But with proper discernment and news literacy skills, these types of conspiracies crumble in the face of facts.
“The corrosive threat of misinformation now permeates every aspect of our civic life,” said Alan C. Miller, founder and CEO of the News Literacy Project. “We’ve seen it surge in the past year around the global pandemic, racial justice protests and during the presidential election. As the violent assault on the U.S. Capitol demonstrated, this contagion of viral rumors and conspiracy theories can have deadly consequences. It’s time to confront this rising tide that threatens our democracy. Together, we must take personal responsibility for the news and other information we consume and spread to assure a future founded on facts.”
So what can you do to make sure you’re consuming a “healthy diet” of news? The News Literacy Project recommends you always make sure these three ingredients are included in the news you consume and share:
• Verified facts: Can the facts in this media be proven?
• Credible sources: Do you know the source of this media, and is it credible?
• Relevant context: Does this media accurately portray the circumstances around the event it is reporting?
And remember, just because news comes from a source you don’t like, or it is negative news about a person or group that you support, doesn’t make it illegitimate. The 2018 John S. and James L. Knight Foundation report “American Views: Trust, Media and Democracy” found that 28% of those polled said that “accurate stories casting a politician or political group in a negative light” are always “fake news.” And 50% said they would “sometimes” consider that to be “fake news.”