True or False: Media Literacy

The way we consume news has changed dramatically over the years. Newspapers have become apps on our phones, and even some news anchors have chosen to create their own YouTube channels. However, these are not the only means to stay informed. For many people, social media has become a valuable source of information to keep abreast of current events. The Internet allows people to discover what is happening anywhere in the world in real time, and news are spreading faster than ever. However, this is a double-edged sword because while having all this information at your fingertips is convenient, it can be counterproductive due to the many false statements that anyone can post, making media literacy a primary tool for surfing the Internet safely.

False news or fake news?

The concept of fake news became notorious and viral due to its continuous reference by Donald Trump during his first presidential campaign in the United States. However, this concept existed a long time before it became popular. The English Oxford Dictionary defines it as “news that conveys or incorporates false, fabricated, or deliberately misleading information, or that is characterized as or accused of doing so.” Today, the Internet is susceptible to this type of news because it provides a platform where anyone can comment and create content whenever they want.

Unfortunately, while some fake news may seem harmless and trivial, such as celebrity breakups or the sighting of aliens in rural areas, reports indicate that false information spreads through sensitive social networks, such as the disappearance of people or missing pets, serial killers on the loose, or the spread of non-existent lethal diseases. This situation harms people who seek loved ones truly missing because, due to media saturation, actual occurrences become lost among the multitudinous posts; readers become desensitized, and legitimate announcements are ignored. In addition, much misinformation confuses and incites fear and panic among users.

An obvious example is the COVID-19 global pandemic. Smartphones became crucial to learn about the current information about new virus outbreaks. However, thousands of misleading news posts circulated throughout all social media, from recommendations such as ingesting disinfectant to avoid contracting the illness to articles that the infrared thermometers caused cancer and even denying the virus’ existence. People worldwide shared misinformation non-stop, which led to severe and lethal consequences for some people.

Likewise, while artificial intelligence (AI) is here to stay and benefits areas such as education, manufacturing, and medicine, among others, many people have begun to use it to create false images and videos that look so real that it is almost impossible to discern their veracity with the naked eye. A few months ago, a photograph of Pope Francis wearing a brand-name jacket appeared. It received thousands of likes and comments, and people believed the photo was real. Although this may seem like an innocent joke, it represents a danger to people because some could use AI to affirm the reliability of fake news on sensitive issues such as public health or security.

Thus, internet misinformation not only comes from false texts or photos edited with Photoshop but also from AI images and videos generated from scratch to support it, misleading people into believing the false news they’re consuming is trustworthy.

So, why do people spread fake news? The answer lies with the creators of these posts. Extremely alarming topics and content usually have a much broader and faster reach, generating a massive number of followers, likes, and comments. In addition to attracting attention, people can sometimes earn money based on the clicks people make to enter the links provided in the post, which can be full of ads. Likewise, these linked references also create confusion, encourage social conflict, and influence how people consider social, political, financial, and ecological issues, to name a few.

While anyone can become a victim of this deception, older adults are especially vulnerable because many lack the digital skills of newer generations, making it difficult to distinguish truth from falsehood. Also, anyone can be deceived when they do not verify sources or trust sites of dubious origin. However, all is not lost; we can all develop media literacy skills to combat misinformation.

Media literacy

UNESCO defines media literacy as “an interrelated set of competencies that help people to maximize advantages and minimize harm in the new information, digital and communication landscapes […] it covers competencies that enable people to critically and effectively engage with information, other forms of content, the institutions that facilitate information and diverse types of content, and the discerning use of digital technologies.”

With today’s world being so erratic and complicated, media literacy is necessary for everyone. It requires people to use critical thinking to evaluate and share information responsibly, sometimes maintaining a neutral stance to avoid manipulation.

This is why teaching media literacy is so relevant. Although it is not a topic or subject taught in many schools, teachers have taken responsibility to give it due attention because it is a valuable tool for the day-to-day in the digital world.

NAMLE (National Association for Media Literacy Education) is an organization that, since 1997, has dedicated itself to promoting media literacy in the United States. It proposes five basic components of interacting with news:

• Access: refers to the frequency, time, manner, and place whereby people access the Internet, i.e., how people surf the net to find information, restrictions they may have in their countries, and their knowledge regarding media literacy, among others.  
• Analyze: the process of questioning the veracity of consumed news. Some good questions are:
  • When and where was this information uploaded?
  • Who is the author, and what is their credibility in the media?
  • What is the author’s goal?
  • What sources support the information?
  • Is there evidence of this information on other trusted sites?
  • What techniques does this posting use to attract attention?
  • What is the content language?

• Evaluate: associates judgments and ways of thinking regarding the data found after carrying out the two previous steps. It involves the experiences, values, and interpretations of each person’s point of view. After reflecting on this data, messages can be interpreted through questions like the following:
  • How credible is this message?
  • Is it an opinion or a fact?
  • How does it impact my emotions?
  • Is it propaganda? Does it seek to change how I think?
  • Can this source be trusted?
    
    Evaluation also seeks to discern the subtexts or more subtle messages in the information and also understand the media’s connections with various ideologies.
    
• Create: refers to the form of expression to communicate through available media and digital tools to create new narratives through videos, texts, podcasts, postings, and other communications. It not only applies to creating content but also to interactions with the media at our disposal and what we do with the information:
  • Is my message a fact or an opinion?
  • Who will benefit or receive harm from this message?
  • What are my sources of information?
  • How do I want people to react or act on my message?
  • In what other ways could my message be interpreted? 

• Act: The process culminates from a previously reflected, responsible interaction with the information received. Similarly, it is vital to encourage media literacy in others and reduce misinformation.

Along these lines, NAMLE shares a worksheet that can help students analyze a piece of information to assess its credibility. 

Other tips to confirm the veracity of the news

• Check the site’s truthfulness: Obtaining data from reliable institutions rather than blogs or pages on social networks is better. Reliable sources usually have the following endings on their links: .gov (government), .org (non-profit organization), and .edu (education), among others.
• If the news does not appear on more than one site or two, chances are it is not authentic. Check reliable sources to see if the information is authentic or not.
• Check how the content is written: if it contains many capital letters (“shouting”) or the linked sites have many ads or pop-ups, the information is probably false or is an ad. Look for titles and images that seem exaggerated or if it’s just clickbait.
• Check if the photographs seem questionable. We must remember that nowadays, AI-generated images are increasingly common. If you scrutinize them, you can often notice inconsistencies due to the editing; by checking Google, you can drag the photo to the search engine to identify its other contextual uses.

Media literacy is necessary to deal with our day-to-day lives. It is essential to acquire it early due to the easy spread of fake news. Especially now, the Internet is vital for all people’s life stages; avoiding fake news is impossible.

Undoubtedly, we live in an era that challenges us intellectually. News saturation can affect our mental health with false data, pessimism, and scams. It is our responsibility to our community to question what we consume on the Internet and verify the sources to avoid misinformation. Still, most importantly, we must create quality content that benefits more than harms others.

Mariana Sofía Jiménez Nájera

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This article from Observatory of the Institute for the Future of Education may be shared under the terms of the license CC BY-NC-SA 4.0