Building news savvy: Best practices
▸Education
Say It With Graphics
WHAT IS IT?
Maximum information, minimum time. Engaging posters explain news literacy and the First Amendment. “Is This Story Share-worthy?” one asks, with key questions to ask on quality, accuracy and fairness. Another helps users “E.S.C.A.P.E. Junk News” by considering Evidence, Source, Context, Audience, Purpose and Execution. The posters, aimed primarily at middle, high school and university students, come with notes for teachers.
WHO’S BEHIND IT?
NewseumED, the education arm of the Newseum in Washington, D.C., produces the posters (and many other resources). NewseumED offers a Media Literacy Booster Pack that includes activity guides, posters and lesson plans. NewseumED is also the online home of the Media Literacy Maven, with a series of videos that provide tips and ideas for navigating the news.
DOES IT WORK?
The posters are popular, downloaded nearly 10,000 times and shared widely. For example, the “Is It Share-worthy?” poster reached more than 630,000 in its first week and got 3,200 shares on Facebook. E.S.C.A.P.E Junk News reached nearly 440,000 with 2,000 shares. Nine in 10 teachers reported that their students gain greater understanding of current (and historical) events through NewseumED resources.
HOW TO DO IT
NewseumED offers hundreds of free online resources — “standards-aligned lesson plans, case studies and more.” Its work is supported by leading educators, including Esther Wojcicki, founder of the Palo Alto High School Media Arts Center, who helped develop “Share-worthy” and other news literacy resources. You can register for free to receive unlimited access to resources on the NewseumED website.