Welcome to the Libraries' News and Media Literacy Guide! This guide is designed to help you learn to
Join us for an evaluation of your current media diet, and come away with a menu for well-balanced media consumption.
If you would like more information don't hesitate to Ask A Librarian for help any time during the Libraries' service hours.
In the following video librarians Sara K. Kearns and Daniel Ireton describe how to critically evaluate and diversify your news.
Question the things that you read and hear about. Pick one thing every day that makes you feel good or bad and ask why it raises those emotions for you. Explore something that claims to present the entire story, but maybe doesn’t.
Develop a list of trusted sources – this is a great way to check what is posted on social media. If The Kansas City Star or the Wall Street Journal is reporting from a different perspective than something your friend posted, consider that carefully. Watch out for things like:
Read it! A headline can be very misleading, occasionally purposely so. Don’t allow yourself to confirm or deny what’s actually being reported without reading the entire article. Be aware that retractions can be issued and new information learned – when a big story breaks, that may not be the last word.
Engage. Find ways to talk to those posting bad information or spurious sources – this isn’t easy, and close to impossible on social media.
You aren’t trying to win an argument, you’re trying to build a community of better informed citizens.
Image credits: Lego emotions by TMD, bear reading by Alexander Krasnov