Learning about News Literacy
by Laurel Taylor
On February 4, around 20 members and friends of Restoration Anglican met to talk about the news. With an explosion of news sources and so many ways for people to share information, it seemed important to take time to help interested parishioners learn some practical ways to verify information they find online and some effective ways to look for reliable information.
Laurel Taylor, a high school librarian, used some of the tools she uses with her students and added specific advice for Christians looking to read and share the news in ways that reflect God’s call to love our neighbors and invest in the communities in which He has placed us.
The session included resources from the News Literacy Project for those wanting to think about their own bias, a discussion of types of unreliable information and ways people become susceptible to bad information, and ended with steps participants could follow to verify information.
Interested in more information about how churches can support their parishioners’ efforts to be well-informed community members, please email Laurel.
Take these quick quizzes to test your news literacy:
Understanding Media Bias
Should you trust media bias charts? This article discusses two media bias charts and how they are helpful.
Laurel Taylor is a member of Restoration Anglican Church in Arlington, VA.