“We live in a time of narrative proliferation. Which stories capture our attention? How do we balance the multiple realities we encounter? What is fake, and what is true? Who should we listen to, and what makes their narrative credible?” ~ Mitchell Thomashow, To Know the World: A New Vision for Environmental Learning

Can we ever know the whole truth? Probably not in a complex and constantly evolving world. The media landscape has changed dramatically in just a few years. The decline of print news and journalism has coincided with the rise of social media and 24 hour TV news. The amount of information available has increased dramatically, making it difficult to sort through it all. Speed has become more important than accuracy. The Internet is a free for all, where anyone can post whatever they want, giving a false sense of equivalency to what’s shared. Social media algorithms give priority to what we want to see and what gets the most clicks and we’re being manipulated by our feeds, whether we admit it or not. This atmosphere is ripe for misinformation and distrust. Be aware before you share.

How did we get to this place? With the advent of digital media, there has been a decimation of print media and distrust of mainstream media outlets. We’ve seen a rise of biased media outlets and the increased popularity of social media. Polarization in politics has increased, and of course, the pandemic has meant more people are at home and online. Over the past year, I’ve become increasingly alarmed by the spread of misinformation, the quickness to form judgments, polarizing speech, etc. I share Thomashow’s questions. So, I set out to learn what it means to be media literate in this day and age. In this post, I’ll share some key points from what I’ve learned, as well as resources if you’re interested in delving deeper. We need to up our critical thinking skills – knowing how to evaluate sources, check facts, construct reasonable arguments, and have civil conversations.

10 Key Learnings

These learnings come mainly from two free online courses, CIVIX-CtrlF and Making Sense of the News (Coursera), as well as a number of articles, all shared in the resources below. In the list below, I’ve linked to articles or resources about that particular point.

  • Evaluate your sources. Make a list of trusted sources and know why you trust them. Learn how to check sources (the courses I mentioned teach this). Most importantly, be aware before you share. If you know something has come from a trusted source and you’ve read the whole thing and not just the headline, go ahead and share. If it elicits a strong emotional reaction or you’re not familiar with the source, I suggest you do your homework or don’t share at all.
  • Know your biases and challenge them. Some examples: confirmation bias, anecdotal evidence, jumping to conclusions. See more at this post or read the book on blindspots.
  • Diversify your news sources. It’s easy to get into a filter bubble and be constantly confirmed in what we want to be true. Widen the range of your trusted sources so that the algorithms don’t narrow your bubble too much. Although, be aware that you’re almost always in a bubble of some kind.
  • Fact check and verify. Separate facts from opinions. Facts are available data. Truth is the reality behind the facts. The question at the heart of verification is: “How do you know that?” Subscribe to a variety of fact-checking sites. See Resources.
  • Know how to spot bad science. This is a good article by a chemical educator who creates easy to understand science graphics. He says that most people get their science news from online articles and rarely delve into the research that the article is based on. It’s important to be able to spot bad scientific methods and biased or misleading conclusions.
  • Know the red flags and then look deeper or pass. Some red flags are: sensational headlines, a strong emotional reaction, too good (or too bad) to be true, etc.
  • Be slow to comment. And, if you do comment, specifically address a point being made. Don’t personally attack the author. Add something constructive to the conversation and don’t respond to trolls. Be wary of a site that is completely one-sided, doesn’t engage constructive criticism, or allows personal, ad hominem attacks without substance.
  • Always remember that information and images have power. We have an innate need to know and be informed but we have to always keep in mind that false information can create unrest and damage reputations. So, be sure before you share.
  • Admit to what you don’t know. Don’t jump to conclusions or fall prey to the Dunning-Kruger effect (overestimating your ability or what you know). Stay humble and listen. Keep an open mind.
  • Think of media literacy as ongoing learning. Make a commitment to know the difference between journalism and propaganda. Take some courses or subscribe to articles/newsletters on media literacy or journalism (see Resources).

“The task that our would-be educators should be taking up: not a rigid defense of conventional wisdom, but the cultivation of a consensus supple enough to accommodate the doubter, instead of making people feel as if their only options are submission or revolt.” ~ Ross Douthat, New York Times

What tips do you have for being media literate?

Resources

Media Literacy Online Courses and Websites

  • CIVIX CTRL-F – a non-partisan, national registered charity dedicated to building the skills and habits of active and engaged citizenship among young Canadians. This site has short videos to help you investigate the sources of information.
  • Making Sense of the News: News Literacy for Digital Citizens – a more extensive course that you can audit for free through Coursera. Offered by The University of Hong Kong and The State University of New York.
  • Webwise: What is Fake News? – a site for students, parents and teachers sponsored by the European Union. This article is specifically about defining fake news.
  • Center for Countering Digital Hate – an international not-for-profit NGO, with offices in the UK and USA, that seeks to disrupt the architecture of online hate and misinformation.
  • First Draft – working to protect communities from harmful misinformation and empower society with the knowledge, understanding, and tools needed to outsmart false and misleading information.
  • ClearerThinking,org – I just discovered this site that offers quizzes and social research on seeing clearly.


Fact Checking and Verification


Articles


Books


Videos

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