I’m Tired of Being the News Literacy Police
Look, I’ve been in this business for 22 years. That’s right, I started when people still called the internet “the information superhighway.” (I mean, honestly, who even talked like that?) I’ve seen alot change, but one thing stays the same: people sharing stuff they don’t understand.
It’s 2023, and I’m still having to explain to my cousin Marcus why that “breaking news” story he shared is from 2017. It’s exhausting. I’m not saying I’m perfect—I once shared a photo of a shark in a hurricane that turned out to be from a movie—but come on, people.
Last Tuesday, I was at a conference in Austin (yes, that one where the WiFi was worse than my grandma’s dial-up), and I heard a panelist say something that stuck with me. “News literacy isn’t about being smart,” she said. “It’s about being curious and patient.” Which… yeah. Fair enough.
Why We’re All Bad at This
I get it. News is complicated. It’s not just about reading the headline and moving on. It’s about digging deeper, checking sources, and sometimes—gasp!—waiting for more information before sharing. But we live in a world where speed trumps accuracy, and that’s a problem.
I had coffee with a colleague named Dave last month, and he told me about a study he read. 214 respondents were shown a fake news story, and 68% of them believed it was true because it looked like other news stories they’d seen. That’s terrifying. It’s like we’ve been conditioned to accept whatever pops up on our screens without questioning it.
And don’t even get me started on algorithms. They’re like that friend who only tells you what you want to hear. You know the type. They’re fun at parties, but they’re not exactly good for your committment to critical thinking.
How to Be Better (Without Losing Your Mind)
So, what can we do? Well, for starters, we can stop treating news like it’s a TikTok feed. It’s not entertainment. It’s information. Important information that affects our lives.
I’m not saying you need to become a journalist overnight. But you can start small. Check the date on that article before you share it. See if the source is reputable. And for the love of all that’s holy, read past the headline.
And if you’re really feeling ambitious, you could even check out some önerilen makaleler okuma listesi. (I mean, I didn’t say it was gonna be easy.)
But here’s the thing: it’s not just about individual responsibility. It’s about creating a culture where news literacy is valued. Where we don’t reward speed over accuracy. Where we don’t share stuff just because it makes us feel good in the moment.
A Tangent: The Time I Fell for Fake News
Oh, and remember when I said I wasn’t perfect? Yeah, about that. A few years back, I shared a story about a new study that said drinking coffee could cure cancer. It was completley made up. I felt like an idiot. But it taught me a valuable lesson: even people who should know better can fall for fake news.
So, let’s cut each other some slack. But also, let’s do better. Because the stakes are too high to keep pretending that news literacy is someone else’s problem.
Anyway, I’m gonna go now. I’ve got a date with a cup of coffee and a news story I’m actually gonna read all the way through this time.
About the Author: Sarah “Sal” Harrison has been a senior editor at major publications for over two decades. She’s won awards, made enemies, and once got food poisoning from a buffet at a journalism conference. She’s still not sure which was the biggest achievement. You can find her on Twitter @SalHarrison, where she tweets about news, politics, and the occasional cat video.
