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News Media Literacy

Reliable Information and Wrong Information (Misinformation)

Journalists follow principles and practices of producing reliable information through an investigative process of verification and multifaceted evaluation of sources, which the Digital Resource Center identifies as V.I.A.(Digital Resource Center).

Misinformation begins with the prefix Mis- which means opposite or lack of. Misinformation is defined as "the dissemination of false information, either knowing it to be false, or unknowingly" (Chandler). In news reporting, omission of facts, inaccuracies, failure to disclose sources--all contribute to misinformation. Executive Editor of The Washington Post, Benjamin C. Bradlee wrote "Standards and Ethics" to make reporters and editors accountable to the newspaper's readers. The ethical code includes writing stories that are fair. Fair stories are complete, relevant, honest and straightforward in identifying potential biases or emotions (Fink).   

Fake news stories pre-date the internet and social media. Creators were inspired to stretch the truth as a way to  entertain, satirize or make a parody of life events. Social media has become a huge means for dissemination of news and  fake news. Some fake news is designed as satire and parody of current events, and some fake news is perpetuated by supremacist groups to spread falsehoods or instill hatred against people the group does not like. The openness of the internet to anyone with digital devices has created revolutionary change in communications and immense opportunity to transmit positive and negative messages. Account holders on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter etc. receive messages which must constantly be examined with an eye to what is fake and what is real. (Burkhardt 7-8).     

Test your understanding. Learn to ask questions about authority and bias in media as you apply informed  skepticism and openness to new perspectives in what you consume (see "Framework").
When considering news stories, you should ask about their origin, context (perspectives represented) and suitability for the intended audience. As you look at the origin of news stories, inform yourself on the authority of sources used in the stories. Ask yourself how confident you are you in the stories' context. Is more than one viewpoint or voice included? To whom is the story written? Is there a particular socioeconomic group that would find the information more suitable, helpful or interesting? Are you made aware of bias in disclosures on the part of the writers of these news stories?

 

Reflective question: What practical ways do you feel will help you adopt an approach to news consumption based on informed skepticism and openness to new perspectives?

Burkhardt JM (2017) Combatting fake news in the digital age. Library Technology Reports (American
     Library Association) 53 (8).

Chandler, Daniel, and Rod Munday. "misinformation." In A Dictionary of Media and Communication. Oxford University Press, http://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780191800986.001.0001/acref-9780191800986-e-1748.

Digital Resource Center. Glossary of terms. (including Truth, Source Evaluation, Verification, and VIA [Verification, Independence and Accountability]).

Fink, Conrad C. Introduction to Professional Newswriting: Reporting for the Modern Media. Longman, 1992. p. 289.  

"Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education", American Library Association, February 9, 2015.

       http://www.ala.org/    acrl/standards/ilframework   Authority is constructed and contextual

       The disposition of informed skepticism and openness to new perspectives are applied by learners who are
      developing their information literacy abilities.