The sixth annual National News Literacy Week, from Feb. 3-7, puts a spotlight on the urgent need to teach students how to find credible information. The week encourages educators to teach critical thinking skills so students learn to recognize standards-based journalism, and know what information and sources to trust.
Teenagers are living in the most complex information landscape in history and are struggling to separate fact from fiction online and in their social media feeds, according to a recent study by the News Literacy Project. It found that 81% of teens who encounter conspiracy theories online are inclined to believe them.
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Few could tell the difference between sponsored content, opinion journalism and paid ads. Meanwhile, teens overwhelmingly reported wanting to learn media literacy in school, which the study found was associated with healthy online habits, like fact-checking a social media post before sharing.
“Teaching young people to be news-literate empowers them to confidently navigate our information-saturated world,” said Charles Salter, president and CEO of the News Literacy Project.
“At a time when students are spending hours each day consuming social media and other information, often through their phones, it’s imperative that young people learn how they are being influenced so they can make informed decisions about their lives.”
National News Literacy Week is co-presented by the News Literacy Project, E.W. Scripps Co. and USA Today. The Cherokee Scout supports their efforts, in part through our Newspapers in Education program as well as by volunteering with the Rotary Reads program.
“Today’s bewildering information and content landscape requires careful navigation in order for Americans to be thoughtful news consumers,” Scripps president and CEO Adam Symson said. “Scripps, its nationwide group of local news stations and our national news outlet Scripps News are proud to help in the effort to educate and equip young people with the skills they need to sift through the barrage and create well-informed opinions.”
“Now more than ever, education around news and sources of trusted information is paramount. We are proud to be part of the mission to improve news literacy,” said Karey Van Hall, deputy editor in chief of USA Today.
Details: Visit newslit.org/news-literacy-week.