Globalization has made it easier for people to stay connected. Everyone loves the Internet, from businessmen to jobseekers, students, and entertainers. With the easy availability of the internet, everyone has easy access to a wide range of information.
For students, it serves as a boon. If they need help with homework, the online homework helper provides them with homework assistance. Moreover, they can quickly complete their essay papers and other assignments online.
Students can easily research any related topics online, be it science, finance, the arts, or any language subject. But, in this fast-growing world, one can’t just rely on their academic education and knowledge. To succeed and develop your overall personality, you must be aware of the current affairs and news happening around you.
Moreover, you must be able to analyze the authenticity of any information available on the internet. This blog explains the importance of news literacy in a student’s life.
What is News Literacy?
In our digital world, we are overburdened with information every moment. However, do we often question the authenticity of the news or any information we receive? We hardly do that because we don’t have time to think that way.
For example, you are scrolling videos on YouTube. You come across some news and informative videos, and you might like, comment on, or even share a few. This is without even realizing that the video you are sharing further could be fake and send the wrong message to a large section of society.
As responsible citizens, we must not promote or support any such news or videos running over different sites and channels. So, this is the time for us to be prepared to recognize the standards of fact-based journalism.
News literacy lets us realize the credibility of any news or information circulating. It helps students become self-sufficient with news and participate in civic life. Many universities today provide students with news literacy programs to develop their critical thinking skills to identify the authenticity of any information or news.
The News Literacy Project
In 2008, to make students and other people aware of authentic information, Allen C. Miller founded the News Literacy Project.
It is a nonpartisan education non-profit organization in America. Miller realized the need for a news literacy program two years before this project when he noticed everyone was turning to social media for information and news without being able to differentiate between fake and real news.
The news literacy project was aimed to guide educators and students to make them capable to
- Identify the articles that are accurately sourced.
- Detect and dissect rumors.
- Categorize information based on its authenticity.
- Criticize or appraise any news.
The main purpose of this organization is to make every individual more engaged, empowered, and better informed so that they can positively contribute to democracy. It provides several literacy resources to different schools and organizations to educate people on how to navigate the current landscape.
After that, many organizations and universities designed their resources and curricula to educate students about news literacy.
Why Should Secondary School Curriculum Include News Literacy?
Today, the Internet is easily accessible to everyone. Schoolgoers also use smartphones and other gadgets most of the time. They can’t differentiate between wrong and right information, and consume everything that they read and watch.
Secondary school students must be taught about news literacy, a critical skill in discerning the reliability of their numerous and varied information sources. This education is crucial because:
- Increasing Sources of Information for Students
The maximum number of users who spend time on social media are students. They have their friend circles who encourage them to be online on these channels. Unauthentic news can’t be avoided, as children mainly trust news sources. - Challenges in Identifying Unreliable Sources
Young students are inexperienced and don’t realize the difference between reliable and unreliable sources. They usually tend to grasp what comes their way. Also, they are not interested in reading the news until the end. They prefer to skim headlines and read only some sections, leaving them with incomplete news. - Disregarding the Value of Reliable Information
Due to a lack of awareness, students often overlook credible sources, showing indifference to the authenticity of news. They are more drawn to sensational and potentially misleading content, demonstrating a need for guidance in recognizing the importance of factual information. - Tendency to Share
Students are mostly excited to share things with friends. So, whenever they find anything interesting on social media, they immediately post it on their feeds and stories or forward it to their friends without knowing whether the information is correct. This spreads the unauthentic content much faster and on a larger scale.
Benefits of News Literacy in the Modern Era
News literacy prepares students for this new connected world. Adapting this skill is beneficial for their academic success and overall well-being.
Some essential benefits of news literacy for students are:
- Enhances Critical Thinking: The news learning process educates the students to question and analyze the news sources. It enables them to verify the credibility of any information. They start considering alternative perspectives and develop an analytical approach that is also helpful in their studies.
- Awareness About the Digital Landscape: News literacy makes students aware of the digital landscape. They understand the mechanisms behind online platforms and identify the viral spread of information and propaganda.
- Brings Out the Responsible Citizen: It shapes the students’ attitude toward responding to digital platforms. They realize that online interactions can have significant consequences. Students become responsible for sharing and avoid spreading any misinformation.
- Promotes Media Literacy: Students can become capable of differentiating reliable journalism from sensationalized content. They learn to verify news sources and understand the editorial process. Media literacy allows students to navigate all aspects of digital media information.
News literacy promotes the analytical and critical aspects of handling any information. This new generation will shape the future of media and journalism. They understand the power of a consumer. By avoiding responses to fake news and misinformation, students can contribute to a democratic society.
Conclusion
Promoting news literacy is the only way to improve the standard of media and information. It develops students’ mindsets to identify credible data and make informed and empowered choices.
Students develop verification skills and become capable of detecting misinformation and false evidence. By understanding the standards of proper journalism, they can easily recognize authentic information and sources. This prevents them from being exploited by any unauthentic piece of information.
School authorities, educators, and parents should promote news literacy to allow the new generation to explore the complexities of this connected world.