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Lessons from Nonprofit News Literacy Project: Sorting Facts from Fiction in the Digital Age
In this article, we will discuss the work of the News Literacy Project (NLP) that is aimed at teaching students and the public how to identify factual information in a digital and contentious era. There has never been a more critical time to develop this skill with the increase in rumor, baseless accusations, and conspiracy theories on social and partisan media platforms. The NLP provides a platform for educators and students to learn and identify credible information, know which sources to rely on, and what to discern.This article will explore the NLP’s various platforms and delve deeper into the latest newsletter published by the Sift, the organization’s newsletter for educators.
The News Literacy Project (NLP): A Brief Overview
The News Literacy Project (NLP) is a nonprofit that provides students and the public with tools to identify factual information in a digital and contentious era. The NLP achieves its mission through an e-learning platform called Checkology, where teachers and educators can register for free to teach their middle and high school students about reliable sources and appreciating journalism’s importance, among others.
Section 1: The Sift Newsletter
The NLP’s newsletter for educators, the Sift, is published weekly during the academic year, where it explores timely examples of misinformation, examines media and press freedom topics, and includes activities and discussion prompts for the classroom. They have nearly 22,000 subscribers. It also includes a free weekly newsletter for the general public called Get Smart About News.
Section 2: The May 22nd, 2022 Sift Newsletter
The last newsletter for the 2022-23 academic school year, the Sift’s May 22nd issue, discussed the rapid advancement in artificial technology and its impact on news literacy. The newsletter explores the various ways that machines learning can be helpful and harmful to society.
Section 3: Artificial Technology and News Literacy
The Sift highlights the recent development of AI technology, where various language-based technologies such as ChatGPT has raised serious questions about news literacy. Various newsrooms have had to grapple with how to use individual AI tools, such as AI-generated stories and political cartoons, while keeping their audience informed about these selections.
Section 4: News Literacy Takeaways About AI
The Sift offers the following three news literacy takeaways about AI:
1. AI has the potential to accelerate misinformation since chatbots and other synthetic AI tools can generate huge amounts of fabricated articles and texts that can deluge the internet.
2. AI tools can help combat misinformation in today’s world by automating fact-checks and identifying fake news.
3. AI will undoubtedly affect journalism indefinitely because the public will expect to read and watch news that adapts to new technologies.
Conclusion
News literacy is more crucial than ever, with the rapid rise of AI technology and misinformation across online platforms. Being able to identify factual information amidst a throng of fake news requires a specific skill set that NLP aims to develop in students and the general public. The free accessible platform Checkology is one way to do so as the organization continues developing resources and news literacy insights.
FAQs
Q. What is the News Literacy Project (NLP)?
A. The NLP is a nonprofit organization that aims to provide students and the general public with tools to identify factual information and appreciate the importance of journalism.
Q. What is the e-learning platform created by the NLP?
A. The NLP created the e-learning platform Checkology that provides educators with free resources to teach middle and high school students about reliable sources and news literacy.
Q. What is the Sift?
A. The Sift is the NLP’s newsletter for educators that explores timely examples of misinformation, media and press freedom topics, and includes discussion prompts and activities for the classroom.
Q. How does the NLP utilize AI technology?
A. The NLP is exploring how AI technology can help combat misinformation and how it can impact journalism practices and processes.
Q. Are all of the NLP’s resources free?
A. Yes, all of the NLP’s resources and programs, including Checkology, are free to use.
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