With so much talk about “fake news”, how do you know what’s real and what’s fake? The best way is to polish up your critical thinking muscles and learn some news literacy skills! January 27th – 31st is National News Literacy Week, a joint effort from the News Literacy Project (NLP) and the E.W. Scripps… Continue reading National News Literacy Week
Category: Information Literacy
I’m GLAD I Can Evaluate Science News
Despite my love of all things science, I’m often frustrated by how scientific discoveries get reported to the public. Studies are often oversimplified, misrepresented, blown out of proportion, or taken out of context to encourage readers to click on a headline. And since science influences so much of our lives, misinformation can be dangerous. Okay,… Continue reading I’m GLAD I Can Evaluate Science News
The Future of News in Chicagoland
Are we watching the final death knell of news in Chicago? We have already witnessed the collapse of suburban papers, and, now, we may be witnessing the end of the Chicago Tribune. The Trib has been a regional leader but in recent decades, it has been fighting to stay alive. Now two veteran reporters from… Continue reading The Future of News in Chicagoland
Climate Change and the Mechanics of Skepticism: How Can we KNOW Better? (video)
To some, climate change is a simple scientific question to be answered with data while to others climate change is a misguided hoax that could cost our country jobs and hurt out economy. The question is why do some people end up on one side of this debate and others end up on the other?… Continue reading Climate Change and the Mechanics of Skepticism: How Can we KNOW Better? (video)
Happy #FactCheckingDay !
April 1st is April Fools Day but April 2nd is Fact Checking Day! This article by Poynter discusses the importance of recognizing fact checking, “Don’t be fooled: Third annual International Fact-Checking Day empowers citizens around the world to sort fact from fiction.” You may want to check out EduCheck Map that lists all kinds of… Continue reading Happy #FactCheckingDay !
“Knowing Keeps us Free:” Washington Post Super Bowl spot
There have been many complaints about the boring commercials during last night’s Super Bowl, but for many of us, one commercial stood out among the rest. This was the spot from the Washington Post (narrated by Tom Hanks) that highlights the importance of journalism in a free democracy. It included images of reporters who have… Continue reading “Knowing Keeps us Free:” Washington Post Super Bowl spot
The Bottomless Pinocchio, Misinformation, and the Fight for Truth
Since yesterday’s post about the War on Truth, a few more items have come our way. First, the Washington Post’s fact-checkers have introduced a new category called “the Bottomless Pinocchio” for constantly repeated false claims. Take a look a the video below or visit this article, “Meet the Bottomless Pinocchio, a new rating for a… Continue reading The Bottomless Pinocchio, Misinformation, and the Fight for Truth
The War on Truth! Defending Free & Open Journalism
Librarians and journalists share many values. Namely, the belief that free and open information is vital to democracy and an open society. This week a few, year-end announcements from our colleagues in the world of journalism were made that should be highlighted. First, Time magazine announced that their person (people) of the year is “the… Continue reading The War on Truth! Defending Free & Open Journalism
Your Apps Know Where You Were Last Night…and They are Selling It
You are being watched!! The New York Times has a great interactive piece online today that details ways that your apps are tracking you and then selling your location data to advertisers. The level of detail is frightening. You can find the story here: Your Apps Know Where You Were Last Night, and They’re Not Keeping… Continue reading Your Apps Know Where You Were Last Night…and They are Selling It
Are you news literate?
Take this test of 12 questions from the News Literacy Project to see how news literate you are.