Media Information Literacy - Evaluating Sources - Principles of Information Literacy

The Research

Americans Who Mainly Get Their News on Social Media Are Less Engaged, Less Knowledgeable
"A new Pew Research Center analysis of surveys conducted between October 2019 and June 2020 finds that those who rely most on social media for political news stand apart from other news consumers in a number of ways. These U.S. adults, for instance, tend to be less likely than other news consumers to closely follow major news stories, such as the coronavirus outbreak and the 2020 presidential election. And, perhaps tied to that, this group also tends to be less knowledgeable about these topics."
Executive Summary and Key Findings of the 2020 Digital News Report
"This year’s report comes in the midst of a global health pandemic that is unprecedented in modern times and whose economic, political, and social consequences are still unfolding. The seriousness of this crisis has reinforced the need for reliable, accurate journalism that can inform and educate populations, but it has also reminded us how open we have become to conspiracies and misinformation. Journalists no longer control access to information, while greater reliance on social media and other platforms give people access to a wider range of sources and ‘alternative facts’, some of which are at odds with official advice, misleading, or simply false."
Social Media Platforms and News
The Pew Research Center on Journalism & Media points out that "Facebook stands out as a regular source of news for about a third of Americans."
The transition of news from print, television and radio to digital spaces has caused huge disruptions in the traditional news industry, especially the print news industry. It is also reflected in the ways individual Americans say they are getting their news. A large majority of Americans get news at least sometimes from digital devices, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted Aug. 31-Sept. 7, 2020.

Information Overload Helps Fake News Spread, and Social Media Knows It

excerpted from "Information Overload Helps Fake News Spread and Social Media Knows It" in Scientific American 323, 6, 54-61 (December 2020)
doi:10.1038/scientificamerican1220-54

Information Literacy in the Age of Algorithms
This report is the result of a national research effort exploring how much U.S. college-age students know about the way in which internet giants like Google, YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook work, and by extension, how they affect society. Amidst the daily flood of digital news, memes, opinion, advertising, and propaganda, there is growing concern about how these popular platforms, and the algorithms they employ, influence our lives, deepen social divisions, and foment polarization, extremism, and distrust. This work builds on a decade of research from Project Information Literacy surveying the information habits of college students in an increasingly digital world. It examines how students conceptualize and navigate a volatile and ever-changing information landscape, and proposes programmatic ways to prepare them to contend with this new reality. In this yearlong investigation, supported by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, The Harvard Graduate School of Education, and the School of Library and Information Science at the University of South Carolina, researchers conducted 16 focus groups with 103 undergraduates and interviews with 37 faculty members to collect qualitative data from eight U.S. colleges and universities from across the country.

UNESCO - Media and Information Literacy
People across the world are witnessing a dramatic increase in access to information and communication. While some people are starved for information, others are flooded with print, broadcast and digital content. Media and Information Literacy (MIL) provides answers to the questions that we all ask ourselves at some point. How can we access, search, critically assess, use and contribute content wisely, both online and offline? What are our rights online and offline? What are the ethical issues surrounding the access and use of information? How can we engage with media and ICTs to promote equality, intercultural and interreligious dialogue, peace, freedom of expression and access to information?

Media Literacy

Be curious.

Independently verify the source (by performing a separate search) and independently verify the information (through mainstream news sources and fact-checking sites).

Be reflective.

If you have an immediate emotional reaction to a news article or source: pause, reflect, investigate. Exciting an emotional reaction is a primary goal of fake news producers. Do not be part of a viral fake news spiral!

Actively investigate your news sources.

Select news sources known for high-quality, investigative reporting. Search these sources directly. Don't settle for web search results or social media news feeds. Social media algorithms are designed to present the news that reinforces your current views, not a balanced view.

Look for in-depth coverage.

Look for lengthy articles--long-form reporting--that better capture the complexity of topics and events. One or two paragraphs is not sufficient. Take a look at this article from Slate as an example.

excerpted from Cornell University LibGuides 4/5/21: Fake News, Propaganda, and Disinformation: Learning to Critically Evaluate Media Sources: Be an Active News User

Fact-Checking Websites

Associated Press Fact Checker
The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting. Founded in 1846, AP today remains the most trusted source of fast, accurate, unbiased news in all formats and the essential provider of the technology and services vital to the news business.
FactCheck.org
FactCheck.org is a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania. The APPC was established by publisher and philanthropist Walter Annenberg to create a community of scholars within the University of Pennsylvania that would address public policy issues at the local, state and federal levels.
Poltifact
PolitiFact is part of the Poynter Institute, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Contributions or gifts are tax deductible. Individual contributions to the Truth Squad in excess of $1,000 will be listed here. PolitiFact does not accept donations from anonymous sources, political parties, elected officials or candidates seeking public office, or any other source with a conflict of interest as determined by PolitiFact’s executive director. Accepting financial support does not mean PolitiFact endorses the products, services or opinions of its members. Truth Squad members have no say in the ratings PolitiFact issues. PolitiFact does not give donors the right to review or edit content.

Evaluating Sources - Principles of Information Literacy: Media Information Literacy

The Research

Information Overload Helps Fake News Spread, and Social Media Knows It

Media Literacy

Independently verify the source (by performing a separate search) and independently verify the information (through mainstream news sources and fact-checking sites).

Be reflective.

If you have an immediate emotional reaction to a news article or source: pause, reflect, investigate. Exciting an emotional reaction is a primary goal of fake news producers. Do not be part of a viral fake news spiral!

Actively investigate your news sources.

Select news sources known for high-quality, investigative reporting. Search these sources directly. Don't settle for web search results or social media news feeds. Social media algorithms are designed to present the news that reinforces your current views, not a balanced view.

Look for in-depth coverage.

Look for lengthy articles--long-form reporting--that better capture the complexity of topics and events. One or two paragraphs is not sufficient. Take a look at this article from Slate as an example.

Fact-Checking Websites