Abstract
Abstract People need to consciously and critically analyze and evaluate mass media messages, especially in the light of increasing fake news; they need to be news literate. The logical time to start teaching such literacy is in K-12 educational settings so that all individuals have the opportunity to learn and practice news literacy. California middle and high school teacher librarians were surveyed to ascertain their perceptions of the level of news literacy demonstrated by their schools’ students. Forty-one respondents indicate a need for news literacy instruction, but they also indicated that little curriculum attention was given to that need. Moreover, teacher librarians and classroom teachers need training on news literacy. Fake news is a wake-up call to educators and the community at large to gain competency in critically analyzing fake news in particular, and information in general.
Highlights
As the recent American Presidential race made abundantly clear, news might not be as true as it appears
Forty-one respondents indicate a need for news literacy instruction, but they indicated that little curriculum attention was given to that need
This study investigates the needs for K-12 students to be news literate, and their current level of skills, as perceived by in-service teachers and school librarians
Summary
As the recent American Presidential race made abundantly clear, news might not be as true as it appears. Mass media play an increasingly significant role in today’s society. Even when one is not searching for information, mass media permeate everyone’s environment, influencing their world view and decision-making. People need to consciously and critically analyze and evaluate mass media messages and only decide how to respond. Otherwise, they will not make reasoned decisions, and they will suffer the consequences of their assumptions or ignorance. They will not make reasoned decisions, and they will suffer the consequences of their assumptions or ignorance
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