This document discusses news literacy and its importance in the Information Age. It provides background on how media has evolved from the printing press to today's digital age. It notes that with so much information now available, consumers must determine what is reliable news. The document outlines challenges for news consumers, including information overload, blurred lines between news and entertainment, overcoming personal biases, and authenticating reliable sources. It emphasizes that news literacy allows people to make informed decisions.

1. A special section of
Media & Their Audiences
for non-journalism majors
Dr. Dale Cressman

2. From Johann to Jon....

3. How Do You Know If You’re
Getting Reliable News?
3

4. How Do We Know What’s Reliable?

5. What Is News Literacy
And Why Does It Matter?

6. News Literacy is the
ability to use critical
thinking skills to judge the
reliability and credibility
of news reports, whether
they come via print,
television
or the Internet.

7. Reliable information is
actionable.
It allows news
consumers to make a
decision, take action or
share responsibly with
others.

8. Why News Literacy Matters:
In the Information Age,
YOU the consumer are now
in charge of determining
what is reliable
and what is not.

11. This is a course about news literacy.
Watch, listen, read every day.

12. Classroom Etiquette
· No Phones ringing
· No Facebooking
· No Texting
· No Talking
· No Sleeping
· Be on Time
Violators will be asked to leave class

13. News Literacy Matters
(Or, What Happened During
The Break and
What It Has to Do
With News Literacy)

14. While You Were Away…

15. While You Were Away…

16. While You Were Away…

17. People aren't’ torching cars and stealing televisions because
they’re angry about “reduced hours at the local library”. These are
simply “looters and vandals and thieves”.
-London Telegraph
Now that Britain’s flood of cheap credit has ebbed and jobs are
scarce, the disenfranchised poor scramble for footing in a “world
where identity comes from consumption”
-Clive Bloom, Financial Times
The consensus seems to be that a “widening gap between rich
and poor, no jobs, and a frustrated underclass” are to blame…Are
we next?
-Raymond Bonner, TheAtlantic.com

18. Is this news?

19. Is this news?

20. From One “Berg” to Another
A Revolution in Communications

21. 986 A.D.:Viking Explorers
Discover North America

22. The Dark Ages
A Monk Spent Months to Produce a Single Book

23. Gutenberg’s Printing Press Changes the World

24. The First Mass-Produced Book
The Gutenberg Bible

25. Within 50 Years
From a Few Books to Six Million

26. Books That Changed the
World and Challenged Authority
1534 – Martin Luther and His Bible

27. Books That Changed the
World and Challenged Authority
1776 – Tom Paine’s Revolutionary “Common Sense”

28. Mark Twain on the Printing Press
“It found truth astir on earth and gave it wings;
but untruth was also abroad, and it was supplied
with a double pair of wings.”

29. 1815 – The Battle of New Orleans
Almost 2,000 Soldiers Died 15 Days
After the End of the War of 1812

30. Accuracy and Speed Tradeoff
1838 – Samuel Morse Sends First
Public Telegram in America

31. Radio Covers the World Live
1937 – The Voyage of the Hindenberg

32. And Then You Were There…
1920 – First News Broadcast of
Presidential Election Results

34. 1969: The Information Revolution 2.0
While we were marveling over live TV from the moon…
The Internet was born: ARPANET

35. The Information Revolution 2.0
Between the end of Bush’s first term,
and the beginning of Obama’s first term,
Web 2.0 changed the rules.

36. Challenges for Consumers
Challenge #1: Information Overload
Challenge #2: The Blurring of the Lines
Challenge #3: Overcoming Your Own Bias
Challenge #4: A Crisis of Authenticity

37. The Information Revolution 2.0
“Every Two Days
We Create
As Much
Information
As We Did Up To
2003,”
Google CEO Eric Schmidt

38. Challenges for the News Consumer
Is everyone a “journalist”?

39. The Blurring of the Lines
News or Entertainment?

40. Can you handle the truth?
CNN/ORC Poll

42. Cognitive
Dissonance:
Even after the release of
the long form birth
certificate, a significant
percentage of the
population still believes
Obama to be Muslim

43. Challenges for the News Consumer
Crisis of authenticity

44. Challenges for the News Consumer
Crisis of authenticity

45. Challenges for the News Consumer
Crisis of authenticity

46. Assignment: News Blackout
For 48 Hours
No Facebook (or other social media)
No News…
No Sports Scores…
No Weather…
…Even From Friends or Family
Summarize Your Reaction