Professional Development 2022

Badke, William. (May/June 2022). "Should We Give Up on Information Literacy?" Online Searcher, 46(3), 33–35.

Multimedia Journalism: News Literacy

Amazeen, Michelle A. and Erik P. Bucy. (2019). "Conferring Resistance to Digital Disinformation: The Inoculating Influence of Procedural News Knowledge." Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media 63(3), 415-432. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1080/08838151.2019.1653101

Cited by 22 articles as of 2/14/22. 

The article, "tests procedural news knowledge as a consequential civic resource" and shows that, "working knowledge of how the news media operate aids in the identification and effects of fabricated news and native advertising" (p. 2). The authors identify working knowledge of how the news media operate as, "procedural news knowledge (PNK)" (p. 3). "The PNK measure included 10 multiple choice questions, each with one correct answer (see Appendix A)," and "The composite measure was based on summing the correct number of responses to all 10 questions" (p. 15). In their discussion: "What divides individuals recognizing legitimate journalism from fabricated news and commercialized content is an understanding of how the news media operate" (p. 23). PNK happens as a result of "formal news training," a.k.a. news literacy.

I'd like to use these in a LibWizard:

Appendix A: Procedural News Knowledge Questions

Q1. In what section does a newspaper's editorial staff endorse candidates and express their opinions about current issues?

• On the front page (15.4%)
• On the editorial page (61.7%) 
• In the business section (4.8%)
• In a special weekly advertising section (5.0%)
• Mainstream newspapers don't endorse candidates or take issue stands (13.1%)

Q2. How long is a typical nightly newscast on the three main broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, and NBC)?

• 15 minutes (5.4%)
• 30 minutes (54.1%)
• 1 hour (36.6%)
• 90 minutes (2.4%)
• 2 hours (1.6%)

Q3. Do television anchors generally go out and report news stories on their own, or do they mostly present stories that others produce for them?

• Mostly report stories on their own (10.6%)
• Mostly report stories that others produce for them (63.2%)
• Equally report on their own and present stories that others produce for them (26.2%)

Q4. Which of the following newspapers is generally regarded as the national "newspaper of record," providing a "first draft” of history?

• USA Today (19.8%)
• The Chicago Tribune (3.9%)
• The New York Times (43.9%)
• The Washington Post (29.4%)
• The Los Angeles Times (2.9%)

Q5. Which of the following best describes a press release?

• A short news piece written or produced by a reporter (17.2%)
• A written statement or short video about a newsworthy event given out to reporters by an official or public relations specialist (69.1%)
• An opinion piece written by a syndicated columnist (8.0%)
• A paid advertisement that appears in newspapers and on news websites with the label "paid advertisement" (5.8%)

Q6. Most news websites prioritize the stories and columns that are most popular, or trending, with users rather than simply structure the news page according to what the editors think are the most important stories.

• True (84.3%)
• False (15.7%)

Q7. The most important information in a news story generally appears at what point in the story?

• In the first paragraph, in what is traditionally called the "lead" (67.0%)
• In the third paragraph, after the introduction to the story, in what is traditionally called the "nut graf" (11.4%)
• At the maximum narrative arc of the story, where the writer decides it should be (14.0%)
• At the end of the story, in the form of a summary (7.7%)

Q8. Most media outlets in the United States are:

• For-profit businesses (66.9%)
• Owned by the government (7.8%)
• Non-profit businesses (7.6%)
• Don't know (17.7%)

Q9. Which of the following U.S. news outlets does NOT depend primarily on advertising for financial support?

• FOX News (9.4%)
• PBS (52.4%)
• The New York Times (5.7%)
• Time Magazine (3.5%)
• Don't know (28.9%)

Q10. When it comes to reporting the news, the main difference between websites like Google News and a website like CNN.com is that:

• Google doesn't have reporters who gather information, while CNN does. (40.3%)
• Google focuses on national news, while CNN focuses on local news. (6.3%)
• Google has more editors than CNN does. (5.7%)
• Google charges money for the news, while CNN does not. (4.2%)
• Don't know (43.5%)

One of the citing articles is:

Tully, Melissa, et al. “Defining and Conceptualizing News Literacy.” Journalism, Apr. 2021, https://doi.org/10.1177/14648849211005888.

They "define news literacy as knowledge of the personal and social processes by which news is produced, distributed, and consumed, and skills that allow users some control over these processes." 

Then, they propose the measures of, "context, creation, content, circulation and consumption." These are further defined as: context is "the social, legal and economic environment in which news is produced," creation is "the process in which journalists and other actors engage in conceiving, reporting and creating news," content is "the qualitative characteristics of a news story or piece of news that distinguishes it from other types of media content," circulation as "the process through which news is distributed and spread among potential audiences," and consumption "as the personal factors that contribute to news exposure, attention and evaluation and recognition of the effects of such consumption."

Are these measures covered by the Appendix questions above?

Watched Shaping Narratives: Ngiiwe by Lin Thomas (Bardwell), 2020, about Michigan Native food sovereignty.