Media literacy is defined as the “ability to access, analyze, evaluate, and create media in a variety of forms.” This definition is all well and good, but do most people actually know what media literacy is? The answer to the question is no–they do not. This fact has been painfully evident throughout the recent news cycles, in which the blatant disregard for honest reporting has led to a misinformed public. 

The problem with the highly dramatized (and falsified) news cycle is that many people don’t realize that the sources they follow need to be verified. One might think, “If the news source is verified on Instagram, the information must be true?” Wrong. And who’s trusting social media nowadays? The truth is, lots of people. Social media is one of the leading outlets for news in modern society. 

There has been a major upswing in the ways people get their news. Traditional TV news channels–or newspapers are being overlooked for more convenient, and accessible news outlets. Younger generations have begun to turn to social media for their news content, with over 50% of Americans having said that they get at least some portion of their news from social media (Pew  Research Center). This movement away from traditional news media is a reflection of the increasingly biased networks, and the lack of straightforward reporting. A recognizable gap in the news market has appeared, prompting news seekers to turn their attention elsewhere. This shift has pros and cons, however, the long-lasting effects are becoming increasingly evident. Approximately 52% of TikTok users say that they regularly get their news from the site. People are getting news from TikTok rather than professionally vetted news outlets. 

Why is this concerning? Inherently it shouldn’t be. People have been using X (formerly Twitter), or Instagram to follow news outlets and media personalities for years now. The difference now is that fake news is not what it used to be. AI is at the current peak of its development, fooling trained professionals with shockingly realistic falsities. These false, or dramatized reports make their way across social media without any fact-checking or verification. Older generations were likely never taught to expect AI in their news. One well-edited video is shared by millions due to the lack of one simple concept. Good old media literacy. 

As many younger adults might attest, Facebook is considered a goldmine of information to their parents. Unfortunately, more often than not, it’s actually a dumping ground for doctored visuals, and exaggerated half-truths. 

Recent fake news headlines claimed that Starbucks is a sponsor of the Republican National Convention (RNC). This claim was made after the Milwaukee Host Committee, a nonpartisan nonprofit, partnered with Starbucks to supply coffee to 5 RNC locations in Milwaukee. The public decided that this meant Starbucks had taken a stand with the Republican Party. Conveniently enough, Starbucks had the same partnership with the Chicago Host Committee for the Democratic National Convention. This last bit of information was irrelevant to the thousands of social media users who took to X to spread the news (or part of it at least). 

What might have stopped this completely false and dramatized narrative? Aside from some basic common sense? Media literacy. One simple search from a reliable source would have cleared up any confusion. The problem is that people simply do not think to access and evaluate text. They read an enraging post on X or Instagram and blindly agree to support a claim with no real substance. Basic media literacy teaches that words should not always be taken at face value. Sometimes they need to be poked and prodded to see if they withstand scrutiny.

The basics of media literacy are simple to adopt, and they all stem from the original analysis of a text. 

• Who wrote this?
  • This can be an individual, a company’s PR team, an established journalist, or an anonymous internet user. These individual biases, and intentions of the ‘author’ should always be considered. 
• Why was this written?
  • Is there a clear goal or agenda within the text? Oftentimes text has an underlying objective. 
• Can it be trusted?
  • Does the source appear credible, recognizable, or official in any way? If not, it’s best to find supporting claims elsewhere. 
• Is there a clear bias?
  • Are there facts left out? Is the full story supplied, or only a single view? There is danger in a single story. 

Media literacy stretches far beyond just news. It is utilized in pretty much every aspect of modern life. Movies are made to be assessed and analyzed. As are books, television shows, and speeches. Anywhere one might find text or speech, there is also an opportunity to practice media literacy.