Concerns over fake news have triggered a renewed interest in various forms of media literacy. Prevailing expectations posit that literacy interventions help audiences to be “inoculated” against any harmful effects of misleading information. This study empirically investigates such assumptions by assessing whether individuals with greater literacy (media, information, news, and digital literacies) are better at […]
History of Youth Media Production in Maine 1960-2010
Research in media literacy seeks to understand multiple branches of inquiry, including the practice of media production. Youth in Maine have produced media independently and in organized venues for more than 50 years. This paper describes results from surveying primary source materials produced by youth in Maine between 1960 and the 2000s. Research started with […]
Hosting and healing: A framework for critical media literacy pedagogy
In this paper, through an exploration into our experiences as educators concerned with marginalized populations of learners in secondary and post-secondary settings, we argue for a pedagogy that brings together the realities of 21st century literacy practices with critical media literacy. We present a framework for teaching critical media literacy that addresses the complex facets […]
Piloting journalistic learning in a rural Trump-supportive community: A reverse mentorship approach
Partisan politics challenge educators to determine how best to navigate discussions of controversial subjects within their classrooms. This can be particularly true for new educators in the early stages of developing their confidence and classroom management skills. This qualitative case study uses situated learning and the communities of practice theoretical constructs to investigate a new […]
Professors’ perspectives on truth-seeking and new literacy
New media and new literacy are essential in our contemporary paradigms of education and communication research. Though truth-seeking is one of the primary objectives inherent in higher education, the process for students may be less clear than it may be for trained academics or professors. The current study sought to explore how professors recommend that […]
How to Identify and Report Hate Speech on Social Media?
Platforms like Twitter and Facebook have tools in place that allow users to report harassment and hate speech, though the sites’ limitations mean too many reports tend to go unaddressed. Still, it’s worth making the effort if you see threatening messages online. There are also outside sources you can turn to if you stumble upon […]
NEW BOOK: Civic Media Literacies: Re-Imagining Human Connection in an Age of Digital Abundance
Civic life today is mediated. Communities small and large are now using connective platforms to share information, engage in local issues, facilitate vibrant debate, and advocate for social causes. In this timely book, Paul Mihailidis explores the texture of daily engagement in civic life, and the resources―human, technological, and practical―that citizens employ when engaging in […]
Media Constructions of the Middle East
High School through College- this kit covers stereotyping of Arab people, the Arab/Israeli conflict, the war in Iraq and militant Muslim movements. Students will learn core information and vocabulary about the historical and contemporary Middle East issues that challenge stereotypical, simplistic and uninformed thinking, and political and ethical issues involving the role of media in […]
Making media literacy great again
A basic understanding of where news comes from is back on the syllabus as students navigate an increasingly bewildering media environment. One of these News Literacy projects is called “Calling Bullshit”. Professors instructed students to ask themselves three questions when encountering a news story, scientific study, or complicated data: Who is telling me this? How […]
Real things teachers can do to combat fake news
At the National Association for Media Literacy Education’s biannual conference in Chicago held in late June, Michelle Ciulla Lipkin, the organization’s executive director, explained to PBS NewsHour how teachers and librarians can help young people figure out which news sources are reliable, how to understand the role of bias in the media — as well […]