News Literacy
Educating better citizens and student journalists
Megan Fromm, PhD
Salzburg Academy on
Media & Global Change
@megfromm / megfromm@gmail.com / Prepared for educational use only

Agenda
• What is news literacy
• Incorporating news literacy into your program
• News literacy and Common Core State Standards
• Lessons for your classroom
• Additional resources
“To be news literate is to build
knowledge, think critically, act civilly
and participate in the democratic
process.” —Robert R. McCormick Foundation
What is news literacy?

A tale of two literacies
Media Literacy


News Literacy
Concerned with the greater
understanding of the
communication processes
required to understand and
consume many forms of media.

Concerned specifically with
how citizens discern truth in
news media.

Emphasizes value and role of
news in democracy
“Media literacy is the ability to
encode and decode the symbols
transmitted via media and the
ability to synthesize, analyze and
produce mediated messages.” —
National Association for Media
Literacy Education

“How to know what to believe.”
— The News Literacy Project

Aimed at consumers AND
producers of news
News literacy is a process, a skill set
and an acquired disposition.
•Informed citizens are essential to good government and free society.
•There is a public value to sharing accurate, newsworthy information.
•The Internet has changed how people receive news information and now people
have to take a more active role in becoming well informed and sharing accurate
information.
•Accurate information is available online, but so is poor quality, misleading
information.
•The Internet makes it possible to independently fact check and verify
information by looking at multiple information providers.
•In assessing accuracy of information, it is important to consider who is providing
it and their sources and whether the information includes verifiable facts and key
perspectives as opposed to opinions and unsubstantiated conclusions.
Main Concepts of News Literacy
Created by Baruch College Professor Geanne Rosenberg and Alan Miller, director
of the News Literacy Project, in collaboration with Dean Miller, director of Stony
Brook University’s News Literacy Center, and Tom Rosenstiel, founder and
director of the Project for Excellence in Journalism
•To be well informed, one should get news from multiple outlets
representing different perspectives.
•It’s important to follow a story over time to be able to trust the information.
•Some news and information has a strong bias, and there are ways to
recognize this.
•One should be skeptical of information based purely on anonymous or
biased sources.
•It’s important to be aware of one’s own biases and assumptions and seek
reliable information that challenges one’s own views.
•It is important to be open minded rather than having fixed opinions that
can’t be changed even with new facts.
Main Concepts of News Literacy
Created by Baruch College Professor Geanne Rosenberg and Alan Miller, director
of the News Literacy Project, in collaboration with Dean Miller, director of Stony
Brook University’s News Literacy Center, and Tom Rosenstiel, founder and
director of the Project for Excellence in Journalism

Students will distinguish verified
information from opinion, agenda and spin

Students will identify biased information
sources

Students will seek information that is
contextual and thorough

Students will understand the limitations of
a 24-hour news cycle on truth and context

Students will possess the skills to evaluate,
analyze, and fact-check the trustworthiness
of today’s news

Students will understand the greater
democratic and ethical imperatives for
producing and consuming factual
information
Learning Outcomes
•
“There is no global issue, no political arena, no
academic discipline in which the statement of
problems and the framing of possible solutions are not
influenced by media coverage.”
— Salzburg Academy on Media & Global Change
•
Not all your students will become journalists, but all
must face the obligations of what it means to be a
citizen of democracy and lifelong media consumer
•
News literate students make better journalists

Why news literacy matters

In your classroom:
•
Journalism skills address form and function
•
•
We ask: What goes first? What goes last? How do
we best present an idea?
News literacy addresses the prevailing concepts,
structures and practices of today’s press
•
We ask: Why these sources? Why not those? Why
now? How are xyz related? What is the larger
context of this message? How do we know what’s
true?
News literacy
in the scholastic journalism curriculum
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
The First Amendment
Journalism history
The business of journalism
Nonstop news
Citizen ‘journalism’ and social media
Journalism and social responsibility
The First Amendment
Understanding the nature of the Fourth Estate
Instead of:
•
A lesson on freedom of the press, libel or privacy
Why not:
•
A conversation about the premium America places
on these freedoms when compared to other
countries, and how that reflects values unique to a
democracy

Compare freedoms globally
Canada
 Charter of Rights & Freedoms

Values social equality and
collective rights over
freedom of expression
Germany
 Basic Law

Values human dignity,
protects against invasions of
privacy more than it
protects for freedom of
expression
First Amendment limitations
What information (if any) is inappropriate for public purview?
Journalism History
Examining the evolution of journalism through a news literate lens
Instead of:
•
A lesson on the evolution of different journalistic
mediums
Why not:
•
An analysis of how the “impartial journalist” really
functioned throughout history


“Activists can and often do reveal
the truth, but the primary objective
remains winning the argument.”
—David Carr, The New York Times
Elizabeth Eckford arrived
at Little Rock’s Central
High School too early and
was heckled by the
crowds. As she walked
away to sit on a bench, a
novice education reporter
saw how upset she was
and sat down with her
until school officials
arrived.
—America.gov
The reporter was harshly
criticized for “inserting”
himself into the story.
—The Race Beat
—Chip Reid, NBC
Case in point: Glenn Greenwald
Journalist for The
Guardian

“It is not a matter of being an
activist or a journalist; it’s a
false dichotomy…It is a matter
of being honest or dishonest.
All activists are not journalists,
but all real journalists are
activists. Journalism has a
value, a purpose — to serve as
a check on power.”—Greenwald
as quoted in the New York
Times on his activism
Activist, government
skeptic
 “A critical, campaigning
column on vital issues of civil
rights, freedom of
information and justice –
and their enemies, from the
award-winning journalist,
former constitutional
litigator and author of three
New York Times bestsellers.”
—Greenwald on The
Guardian blog he writes
What happens when
news media must rely
on others for access
to the story?
The Business of Journalism

How economics and capitalism shape news media
Instead of:
•
Teaching students how to sell advertising, pitch a
product and manage funds
Why not:
•
Explore the effects of media conglomeration and deregulation on the diversity (or lack thereof) in news
media today
—Frugaldad.com
—Frugaldad.com
Private/market ownership model
Pros
Cons
 No government control
 Profit reigns supreme
 Medium for anti-
 Public interest secondary
government views
 Competition breeds
ingenuity, better products
 Large media companies
 Homogenization of voices
because of convergence
 Concentration of viewpoints
benefit from economies of
scale
—globalization101.org
Public sphere model
Pros
 Publically-funded, so
impetus to serve public
interest
Cons
 Lack of competition
 Lack of consumer support
can derail product
 Provides resource regardless
of ability to pay
—globalization101.org
Ownership models & content
How do you balance ad revenue with journalistic
obligation?
Would you run a story about a shady local
business if they are also an advertising
partner?
Nonstop news
How 24-hour news is redefining standards for accuracy
Instead of:
•
Teaching students how to adapt content for online
mediums
Why not:
•
Develop skills to analyze online sources, fact-check
breaking news and crowd-source for accuracy

“A publish–then filter–world”
—Poynter.org
—Poynter.org
—USAToday.com
—TheWeek.com
—TheWeek.com
Fact-checking in the digital age
1. Follow the links
2. Learn how to use simple tools, like public
records
3. Understand what normal social media use
looks like
—mediabistro.com
How do we know what to believe on the Internet?
Evaluate three areas:
1. Authorship
2. Content
3. Format and structure
Authorship
1. Does the site identify the individual or
institution who authors the site?
2. Is a contact person identified with an email
address?
3. Does the site have a commercial sponsor or
co-sponsor?
Content
What is the purpose of this site?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
To inform?
To teach?
To persuade?
To express?
To entertain?
To make money?
Format and Structure
1.
2.
3.
4.
Is the site easily readable and navigable?
Do the graphics enhance the information or merely
decorate the website?
Does the site provide for interactivity and exchange?
Are the spelling and grammar flawless?
Citizen ‘journalism’ and social media
The benefits and limitations of every man, the journalist
Instead of:
•
Teaching students to use social media to promote
their publications
Why not:
•
•
Evaluate the difference in practice and product
between trained, professional journalists and the
emerging citizen journalist
Appreciate the value of added eyes/ears in the field

Kevin Sites, once a journalist for Yahoo,
spent a year traveling around 20 conflict
zones across the world. With only a
translator, Kevin visited places that
more traditional news reporters have
never accessed.
Codes of ethics
Professional journalist
 Seek truth and report it
 Do no harm
 Act independently
 Be accountable
Citizen journalist
?
Motivations
Professional journalist
 Expose wrongdoing
 Provide context and facts for
public dialogue
 Hold authorities accountable
 Provide balance of content
between what public wants
to know, needs to know, and
should know
Citizen journalist
?
Examine: The $2.5 million blogger lawsuit
1. In 2011, blogger Crystal Cox used her opinions
and facts from anonymous sources to claim
an Oregon lawyer was a thug, thief and liar
2. The lawyer sued for defamation
3. Cox argued that Oregon’s Shield Law
protected her from naming her anonymous
sources
4. Judge ruled she was not a journalist, and
therefore not protected by the Shield Law
Judge’s ruling: what is journalism?
—Poynter.org
Journalism and social responsibility
The conflation of watchdog and activist media
“In republics, the great danger is
that the majority may not
sufficiently respect the rights of
the minority.” —James Madison

—niemanlab.org
“Gay marriage” or “marriage equality?”
A 2011 Rutgers-Eagleton Poll in New Jersey found that 52% of voters believed
same-sex marriage should be equal.
=
This number jumped to 61% when the issue was framed in terms of “marriage
equality.”
To what
extent do
the media
shape how
we perceive
even the
simplest of
events?
Final thoughts
“A good newspaper, I suppose, is a
nation talking to itself.”
—Arthur Miller
If so, then news literacy demands we ask not only what is
being said, but what isn’t, and why.
Are we still awake?
Common Core State Standards
How news literacy concepts satisfy the new trend

Students who meet the Standards:
• readily undertake the close, attentive reading that is at the heart of
understanding and enjoying complex works of literature
• habitually perform the critical reading necessary to pick carefully through the
staggering amount of information available today in print and digitally
• actively seek the wide, deep, and thoughtful engagement with high-quality
literary and informational texts that builds knowledge, enlarges experience,
and broadens worldviews.
• reflexively demonstrate the cogent reasoning and use of evidence that is
essential to both private deliberation and responsible citizenship in a
democratic republic
• develop the skills in reading, writing, speaking, and listening that are the
foundation for any creative and purposeful expression in language
Funny, our student journalists do ALL of
this every day.
And twice on Sundays worknights.
Anchor standards
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine
and convey complex ideas and information clearly and accurately through the
effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
JOURNALISM
• Write in inverted pyramid style
• Identify the most important of
the 5ws and h for an effective
lead
NEWS LITERACY
• Create an
informative/explanatory policy
manual that reflects on your
publication’s standards for
newsworthiness and source
credibility
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.8 Gather relevant information from multiple print
and digital sources, assess the credibility and accuracy of each source, and
integrate the information while avoiding plagiarism.
JOURNALISM
NEWS LITERACY
• Use online sources for secondary
research or to locate expert
sources
• Create a staff policy for
determining acceptable online
sources
• Use proper attribution at all
times
• Teach students how to identify
and locate authors/creators of
websites
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.4 Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a
text, including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and
analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.6 Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the
content and style of a text.
JOURNALISM
• Editors find and replace
loaded/biased words in a news
story
NEWS LITERACY
• Analyze how loaded word
choices compromise the fairness
of a news story
• Compare/contrast news stories
that highlight different
sources/views as most prominent
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.1 Write arguments to support claims in an analysis
of substantive topics or texts using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient
evidence.
JOURNALISM
• Write editorials and op-eds
NEWS LITERACY
• Analyze and evaluate daily op-eds
for rhetorical strategies and logical
fallacies
• Determine which rhetorical
strategies would be most useful for
your audience (high school students)
Reading: Informational Text
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.9-10.3 Analyze how the author unfolds an analysis or
series of ideas or events, including the order in which the points are made, how
they are introduced and developed, and the connections that are drawn
between them.
JOURNALISM
• Read news stories to identify the
lead, accurate use of inverted
pyramid, fact placement, quote
usage, and transitions
NEWS LITERACY
• Analyze your publications’
stories to identify which
perspectives are present, which
are missing, and to evaluate
whether presentation of facts and
subsequent inferences are fair
and objective
Writing
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.7 Conduct short as well as more sustained research
projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a
problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize
multiple sources on the subject, demonstrate understanding of the subject
under investigation.
JOURNALISM
• Write in-depth pieces on topics
of relevance to today’s students
• Assign students to cover beats
NEWS LITERACY
•Explore the ethical and practical
considerations your students face in
being members of the community they
cover
• What happens when the “subject under
investigation” is the greater “you?”
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.2b Develop the topic with well-chosen, relevant,
and sufficient facts, extended definitions, concrete details, quotations, or
other information and examples appropriate to the audience’s knowledge of
the topic.
JOURNALISM
• Identify the 5ws and h
• Determine logical and most
significant order
• Provide adequate
background/context detail
NEWS LITERACY
•Discuss and decide as a staff what
“sufficient” means. Is it sufficient to
tell each main side of a story? What
if there are more than two sides?
Who decides what is sufficient?
Speaking & Listening
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.9-10.2 Integrate multiple
of information presented in
diverse media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) evaluating the credibility
and accuracy of each source.
JOURNALISM
• Maintain a three-source
minimum for every story
• Tell stories in alternative story
formats
• Emphasize secondary coverage
NEWS LITERACY
• Evaluate and compare news
creation and presentation across
mediums
• Understand how different
mediums promote/ limit different
levels of credibility
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.9-10.5 Make strategic use of digital media (e.g., textual,
graphical, audio, visual, and interactive elements) in presentations to enhance
understanding of findings, reasoning, and evidence and to add interest.
JOURNALISM
• Use different story version for
online and print media
• Teach students to write for web
NEWS LITERACY
• Evaluate the ethical
considerations of using digital
media to tell traditional news
stories (i.e. headline placement,
image placement, music, visual
effects, access)
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.9-10.3 Evaluate a speaker’s point of view, reasoning, and
use of evidence and rhetoric, identifying any fallacious reasoning or
exaggerated or distorted evidence.
JOURNALISM
• Fact check!
• Learn to ask “how do you
know?” after every fact claim
NEWS LITERACY
• Understand the business and
economic constraints on today’s
media that affect credibility