Media Literacy and Democracy

The overwhelmingly educated, thoughtful, compassionate people of Pearland have been reaching out to us about fake news and the importance of media literacy. Here are some tips* on how to discern when a site is not to be trusted.

1. Credibility – Do they provide insight into leadership and mission? Is the reporting consistent with said mission? Is there a professional email for contact? What is the background authors / editors claim, and can it be validated?

2. Quality – Is the site replete with spelling and grammatical errors? Does this inattention to detail give you confidence about the integrity of the reporting?

3. Sources and citations – Do they cite primary sources and accurately reference those sources? In a world where 60% of people will share provocative headlines without reading any further**, fake news thrives. Challenge yourself to interrogate the primary source.

Exercise: Do we have any fake news sites in our community? What is your evidence?

Those who defy journalistic ethics by intentionally distorting information and invoking stereotypes are a threat to a healthy democracy.

*https://www.summer.harvard.edu/inside-summer/4-tips-spotting-fake-news-story

**https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-intersect/wp/2016/06/16/six-in-10-of-you-will-share-this-link-without-reading-it-according-to-a-new-and-depressing-study/?utm_term=.c30320b4015d

#activecitizenship #medialiteracy