By: Leona Falconer
Without context and consideration, information posted online can cause irreversible damage. News consumers have endless resources to seek information, but it can be challenging to discern credible sources from misleading ones.
This can cause disinformation to spread in the form of hoaxes, propaganda and conspiracy theories. It is in all of our hands to combat misinformation and spread credible communications through the practice of news literacy.
Creating a news-literate society starts at the source – with journalists. They safeguard the public from misinformation and promote unbiased news coverage.
Reporters must follow a strict code of ethics to seek the truth and report it accurately and transparently. Quality news organizations commit to not just reporting the facts but backing it up with reputable data and sources. This means providing context and explaining how they collected it, analyzed it, built their database and made it verifiable.
However, this isn’t always the case in online news reporting today. Consumers must also practice news literacy in order to sift through the constant barrage of information and conflicting stories.
The public must also be mindful of the information they share or repost. News consumers are an important piece of the news cycle and also contribute to the discourse that takes place online. They can be just as responsible for the spread of misinformation as news organizations and journalists.
With this in mind, news consumers must actively work to hone their news literacy skills to stay sharp and keep on top of the constant barrage of information. A fantastic resource to learn about and practice news literacy is the News Literacy Project.
This nonpartisan education nonprofit offers platforms, apps, tips and quizzes to hone your news literacy skills. Take advantage of their free resources to become a more engaged and empowered member of society!