Page 14 - My FlipBook

A Connecticut teacher librarian works with a high school
freshman during a media literacy skills class. Various
efforts are under way in countries around the world to
teach students how to be informed news consumers.

“It’s only right to give these kids the possibility to defend them-
selves from lies,” she adds.
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In the United States, the News Literacy Project (NLP) is one
example of efforts to teach students how to decide what is real in
the digital age. A national nonprofi t organization, the NLP provides
middle school and high school students with skills they need to
become smart and informed news consumers. Through class-
room and online lessons, the program aims to teach students that
all information is not equal. The program also encourages stu-
dents to produce and share information that is accurate and fair.

Working Together for the Truth

In the United States and around the world, efforts to combat fake
news and the manipulation of public opinion online are being un-
dertaken by social media platforms, technology companies, gov-
ernments, educators, and individual users. Being aware of fake
news and the ways in which it spreads is the fi rst step toward
stopping it. “It’s such a complex problem that it must be attacked
from every angle,” says computer scientist Filippo Menczer.
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