🚨 "In an era when misinformation travels faster than facts & algorithms reward outrage over accuracy, the future of journalism & civic trust hinges on what young people understand about news."
Read more from this powerful piece about the urgent need for #MediaLiteracy 👇🏾
Context matters just as much as facts. Instead of just checking whether a claim is true, we should consider where it came from, how it’s framed, and what information might be missing. That kind of deeper thinking helps navigate a messy info environment with more clarity.
👀 "We can’t tell what’s AI & what’s not — now what?!"
👆🏾 A really important question that we answer in this month's family Q&A section of Scroll Smarter!
➕ Can the kids in your life tell the difference between news & content about news?
Read & subscribe ⤵️
A social media post features the text, “Iran Dropped a List Summer is Canceled” and “THERE’S A LIST OF CITIES? #Iran #War #Citylist #USCitiesIran #explorepage” and a list of 11 cities, including “Great Falls, Montana; Cheyenne, Wyoming; Ogden, Utah; Shreveport, Louisiana; Honolulu, Hawaii; Omaha, Nebraska; Colorado Springs, Colorado; Albuquerque, New Mexico; Washington, D.C.; Seattle, Washington, and San Francisco, California.” The post also contains a video of a person commenting on the alleged list. The News Literacy Project has added a label that says “FALSE.”
❌ NO: #Iran did not release a list of U.S. cities & military bases it is targeting for a retaliatory attack against the U.S.
✔️ A list of 15 possible sites in the U.S. vulnerable to nuclear attacks dates back to at least June 2025.
🔗 Read more on RumorGuard: go.newslit.org/IranUSCities
I was just thinking about this the other day... #sschat
2/ “Whether students pursue journalism or any other career field, I know when they leave my classroom, they do so fully understanding their #FirstAmendment rights & responsibilities as citizens, who will go on to make well-informed decisions," said program advisor Morgan Bricker
#NewsLiteracy
1/ “I want every student to understand #MediaLiteracy, to know how to distinguish real news from misinformation, and to feel empowered to tell stories that matter.” - West Virginia student journalist of the year Hailey Hans
Hans is part of Weir High School's award-winning student media program ⤵️
News vs Content about news
🔌 Happy global day of unplugging! Let this 24-hour event serve as a refreshing reminder that going outside & touching grass (or even snow) is often invigorating.
🍃 The internet & all its joys & pitfalls will be here when you return from the zen.
📰 What's a day in the life like for a journalist working for a community newspaper? In a new edition of "Spill the Ink," La Jolla Light reporter Noah Lyons takes us behind the scenes of writing, editing & laying out the weekly print publication that's part of the @sandiegouniontribune.com family ⤵️
A few quick tips that need to be automatic
"Trying to spot AI-generated content with the naked eye is basically a guessing game, even for seasoned reporters. It’s necessary to look at the source, evidence & surrounding context to identify these fabrications." - Dan Evon on takeaways from presenting #2TruthsAndAI at the Knight Media Forum
My AFP team is working around the clock, in 26 languages, to debunk misinformation about the war in the Middle East.
Read fact-checks in:
English: factcheck.afp.com/list/Iran-0
Arabic: factcheckarabic.afp.com/list/ayran-0
French: factuel.afp.com/list/Iran-0
Spanish: factual.afp.com/list/Iran-0
Educators: Can your students separate news from content about news? It's a distinction that matters, as NLP's @hannahcov.bsky.social explains in today's special edition of The Sift!
Check out the newsletter for classroom slides on this topic + our new infographic 👇🏽
📢 We're hiring a Prospect Research Manager!
ℹ️ The person in this role will be responsible for building out a robust prospect research program & supporting the operational infrastructure that is foundational to our fundraising work.
🔗 Learn more / apply: go.newslit.org/ResearchMgr
#Jobs #Hiring
A tunnel of trees along a pathway that leads to a fountain.
🔎 Can you figure out where NLP staff will be for our annual retreat next week? Use geolocation skills such as a reverse image search & let us know in the replies!
The science influencers going viral on TikTok to fight misinformation
Scientists and medical experts are countering climate denialism, vaccine scepticism and wellness pseudoscience on social media. www.nature.com/articles/d41...
👀 "Doubling down on #MediaLiteracy in school curriculums is no longer optional. It should be embedded across grade levels, integrated into English & social studies classes & reinforced through experiential learning like student newsrooms."
We agree! Read more 👇🏾
#NewsLiteracy
#EduSky
A social media post translated from Spanish reads, “Beautiful panoramic view of Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, which this morning of narcoblockades is giving us. There it is, the consequence of tolerating the expansion of organized crime’s power: They know they’re untouchable when it comes to sowing terror. The guilty ones are AMLO, Claudia, and everyone in MORENA” and features an image that appears to show several buildings burning in Puerto Vallarta. The News Literacy Project has added a label that says “AI IMAGE.”
❌ NO: This is not a legit photo of fires breaking out in Puerto Vallarta, #Mexico.
✔️ It's AI-generated.
💡 Partisans, trolls & engagement bait accounts often take advantage of heightened emotions during breaking news events.
🔗 Read more on RumorGuard: go.newslit.org/AIFires
Today is #StudentPressFreedom Day!📣
Across the country, student journalists are investigating and telling stories that matter.
They’re also facing increasing threats like censorship and retaliation.
Show up for them today and every day!
Share, amplify, speak out: https://studentpressfreedom.org
"Having a healthy sense of skepticism lets you stay engaged with the world without getting overwhelmed by it. It’s the bridge to discovery, giving kids a chance to build a future on a shared reality they’ve taken the time to explore & understand for themselves." - NLP board member Jon Gold
More ⤵️
📢 We're hiring a Prospect Research Manager!
ℹ️ The person in this role will be responsible for building out a robust prospect research program & supporting the operational infrastructure that is foundational to our fundraising work.
🔗 Learn more / apply: go.newslit.org/ResearchMgr
#Jobs #Hiring
It's nice to see more academic journals cover the importance of scientists meeting people where they are (social media) in order to share evidence-based information.
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
This is a great diagram. I know Bluesky folks understand this but so many don’t know why we need to support local journalism.
Text-heavy nfographic titled "The Information Ecosystem Depends on News." It features a "News-Driven Ecosystem" diagram with sections like the public, journalism, and raw information, emphasizing interconnected roles. Illustrations of trees and people symbolize growth and influence. The tone is educational, highlighting the significance of journalism as an anchoring tree for an informed society.
✨ #Educators - Use our NEW poster to help students:
🌱 Learn how the news-driven ecosystem forms an info web
🌱 Identify how content about news largely couldn’t exist without standards-based journalism
🌱 Reflect on what makes an ecosystem healthy & more
👉🏾 Download: go.newslit.org/InfoEcosystem
Traditional fact-checking skills are helpful, but they should be paired with education around social media algorithms, AI limitations, and understanding social influence to be more effective.
www.edweek.org/teaching-lea...
A social media post reads “Seattle Seahawks decline White House invitation!” The News Literacy Project has added a label that says “FALSE.”
❌ NO: There’s no evidence the Seattle #Seahawks declined a White House invitation after winning the Super Bowl.
⚠️ This post is an example of a sheer assertion, or a baseless claim unsupported by facts.
🔗 Tips to spot & debunk divisive claims: go.newslit.org/SeahawksWH
The science influencers going viral on TikTok to fight #misinformation www.nature.com/articles/d41...
“We can’t be shrinking away from this space because it’s not going away.”
Agree. Love seeing more and more informed and creative voices in the mix! 🙏
Kim Kardashian Says the Moon Landing Was Fake. There's a Lesson Here for Schools (Opinion): Teachers can use popular conspiracies to help students scrutinize what they see online.
🚨 Early bird pricing for our first-ever National News Literacy Conference ends Feb. 28!
🔎 Learn more about the October conference + claim your spot in Salt Lake City: newslit.org/conference/
#NewsLitCon
#EduSky
