The School of Journalism at Stony Brook University
News Literacy
From Johann to Jon: How to Be a Smarter News Consumer
What Is News Literacy
And Why Does It Matter?
News Literacy is the ability
to use critical thinking skills
to judge the reliability and
credibility of news reports,
whether they come via
print, television
or the Internet.
Reliable information is
actionable information.
It allows news consumers
to make a judgment, reach
a conclusion or take an
action.
Why Do We Need News Literacy?
As
Democracy
the
digitalcan
revolution
only
flourish
unleashes
with an
an by
Quality
journalism
can
only
be
sustained
Why
Do
We
Need
informed
flood citizenry.
ofitinformation
– andto
a unprecedented
public that recognizes
. . . and is willing
disinformation
– the
ability
News
Literacy?
support
it. to assess the
value
of news Democracy
will be an essential
skillwith
for a
The
corollary:
will wither
citizen of the
Age.
misinformed
or Information
confused citizenry.
News Literacy
The Course
How Do You Know You Are Getting
the Truth from the News Media?
NEWS LITERACY:
OUTCOMES
What Students Need to Know
and
What They Need to Know How to Do
Key Skills
1. Recognize the difference between journalism
and other kinds of information and between
journalists and other information purveyors.
2. In the context of journalism, recognize the
difference between news and opinion.
3. In the context of news stories, analyze the
difference between assertion and verification
and between evidence and inference.
Key Skills
4. Evaluate and “deconstruct” news reports based
on the quality of evidence presented and the
reliability of sources; understand and apply these
principles across all news media platforms.
5. Distinguish between news media bias and
audience bias.
Key Concepts
1. Appreciate the power of reliable information
and the importance of a free flow of information
in a democratic society.
2. Understand the nature and mission of the
American press and its relationship with the
government; compare and contrast to other
systems around the world.
3. Understand how journalists work and make
decisions and why they make mistakes.
Key Concepts
4. In the internet age, understand that rank is not
equated with reliability
5. In the digital age, we are all more than news
consumers. We are all publishers. We have the
responsibility to spread reliable information.
6. Understand why news matters and why
becoming a more discerning news consumer can
change their own lives and the life of the
country.
Your First
Assignment:
Getting Ready
Enter the Twilight Zone
A 48-Hour
News Blackout.
No News.
No Weather Reports.
No Sports Scores.
Not Even from
Friends and Family.
Reports From the Twilight Zone
“… the experience resembled
withdrawal. It made me realize how
dependent I am on having instant
access to the news.”
- A.I.
Reports From the Twilight Zone
“The News Blackout has been
absolutely dreadful. I had to feel the
window in my room to figure out what
the weather outside was like.”
- R.D.
Reports From the Twilight Zone
“I feel by far that this has been the
hardest task trying to accomplish
throughout my years at Stony Brook.”
- M.G.
News Literacy
Lesson # 1
Know
Your
Neighborhood
Know Your Neighborhood
News Literacy begins with an understanding of
how to distinguish news from propaganda,
publicity, advertising, entertainment and raw,
unfiltered information. In a 24/7 avalanche of digital
information, it’s never been more important to
“know your neighborhood”.
Know Your Neighborhood
What Is Journalism? Who Is A Journalist?
The Information Evaluation Grid
What should you believe?
Is YouTube a Source of Journalism?
What should you believe?
Apple Stock Reeling
What should you believe?
MILPH?
(Mother I’d Like to Photoshop)
What should you believe?
Wikiscanner Exposes ‘Clogs’
What should you believe?
Are Video News Releases Journalism?
What should you believe?
∙ More than 1/3 of poll
respondents say the government
was involved or knew of the
attacks and did nothing.
∙ Sixteen percent believe that hidden explosives,
not jets, brought down the Trade Center
Source: Scripps-Howard News Service Poll ,August 2006
What Makes News Different?
Verification
Independence
Accountability
The Press As ‘Watchdog’
The Washington Post Exposes
a Scandal at Walter Reed Hospital
Who is a Journalist?
Who is a Journalist?
Is Jon Stewart a Journalist?
25% of College Students Go To Him For Their News
So Who is a Journalist?
• Primary Mission is to
Inform the Public
• Employs Journalistic
Methods and Values
So Who is a Journalist?
• Does not compromise
independence
• Does not intentionally deceive
• Subjects work to verification
• Accountable: Stands behind
work
News Literacy
Lesson # 2
How to Separate
News from Opinion
The Blurring of the Lines: Cable TV
Keith Olbermann Hosts MSNBC’s RNC Coverage
Opinion Neighborhood Landmarks
•Labeling
•First-person voice
•One-sided argument
•Personal attacks
•Straw-man arguments
• Exaggeration or Superlatives
• Overly dramatic
News Literacy
Lesson # 3
What is Journalistic
Truth?
Following a Story Over Time
Truth is Provisional
The Dow Jones Average on:
∙ 10/9
∙ 10/13
∙ 10/17
It Changes
Over Time
Truth is Provisional
The Duke Rape Case
New Information is Revealed Over Time
Journalistic Truth
Journalistic truth is the best obtainable
version of the truth on any given day.
It is a continuing journey toward
understanding . . . which begins on the first
day of a story and builds over time.
The practical truth is a protean thing which,
like learning, grows as a stalagmite in a cave,
drop by drop over time.
News Literacy
Lesson # 4
Evaluate Sources!
Evaluate Sources!
Evaluate Sources!
The 5 Sourcing Rules:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Named sources are better than unnamed
sources
Authoritative sources are better than
uninformed sources
Independent sources are better than self
interested sources
Sources who verify are better than sources who
assert
Multiple sources are better than single sources
News Literacy
Lesson # 5
Assess The Evidence
“Did The Reporter
Open The Freezer?”
Getting The Best Possible Evidence
Why reporters make mistakes
• Bad Information
• Incomplete Reporting
• Time Constraints
• Sloppiness and Confusion
• Difficulty in Getting to the Truth
(Reporting is Hard)
News Literacy
Lesson # 6
On the Internet,
rank and popularity
do not necessarily
mean reliability
.
It is hosted by Stormfront.org,
a white supremacy organization.
Remember Your ABCs
Some things to consider when you are
evaluating the reliability of Web pages:
• Authority
• Bias
• Currency
Evaluating Web Pages: Authority
Who is responsible for the page content?
• Look at the “About Us” page
• Is there contact information?
• Is there copyright information?
• Is there someone taking credit for the work?
• What sites link to the site?
A NEW RESPONSIBILITIY
In the digital age, we are all more
than news consumers.
We are all publishers.
You have the responsibility to
spread reliable information.
News Literacy
Lesson # 7
Be open to information
that challenges
your own biases and
assumptions
What is News Bias
and What is
Audience Bias?
News Bias vs. Audience Bias
What Influences the Ways We View the News?
Cognitive Dissonance
• People distort incoming information
that contradicts their point of view.
• People tend to pursue information that
only reflects their point of view.
(This is called “confirmation bias.”)
• People disassociate messages from
sources (the “sleeper effect”).
Cognitive Dissonance, Con’t.
•When they do remember sources,
people selectively describe messages as
coming from sources who are known to
be more reliable.
•People experience a strong pressure
to conform to popular opinion.
Are You Biased?
Project Implicit
Who Is George Turklebaum?
The Turklebaum Story Won’t Die
Balance, Fairness and Bias
What Do College Girls Do on Spring Break?
A Deconstruction Worksheet
How to Judge Reliability
1) Summarize the main points of the story.
2) Assess the evidence supporting the main points of the
story.
3) Are the Sources Reliable?
4) How close did the reporter come to opening the
freezer? Characterize the evidence as direct or indirect.
5) Does the reporter make his or her work transparent?
A Deconstruction Worksheet
How to Judge Reliability
6) Are the key questions answered?
- Who? -What ? -When? -Where? -Why? -How?
7) Is the story fair?
8) Does the reporter place the story in context?
Ten Ways to Be a
Smarter News Consumer
1) Always know what information neighborhood you’re in.
2) In the news neighborhood,
differentiate news from opinion.
3) Follow a story over time.
4) Evaluate sources, evaluate sources, evaluate sources.
5) Always ask: Did the reporter open the freezer?
6) On the Internet, rank and popularity
do not necessarily mean reliability.
Ten Ways to Be a
Smarter News Consumer
7) Be open to information that challenges
your own biases and assumptions
8) Don’t judge the news media on the basis of
one news outlet or story. Don’t judge one outlet
on the basis of one mistake. Look for patterns.
9) Be an aggressive news consumer. Being a good news
consumer in the digital age is hard work.
10) Make time for the news.
News Matters
Watch the Volume on Your iPods
News Matters
Economic Crisis Ripple Effects on Campus
You Are the Editor
You Are the Editor
Sex Sells
You Are the Editor
You Are the Editor
Operation Swift
Did The New York Times commit treason?
Our Goals
•To teach 10,000 students
•To conduct a 2 year study of
the course’s impact
•Summer Institute for High School Teachers: 50 high
school teacher from around the country come to
Stony Brook to learn about News Literacy
•Nationwide implementation of a News Literacy high
school curriculum
•A national News Literacy Conference to be held in
March
•A public website with interactive modules on topics
of News Literacy
The Center for News
Literacy
Howie Schneider, Executive Director
NewsLiteracy@notes.cc.sunysb.edu
Liz Farley, Staff Assistant
631-632-7637