In this assignment you will improve your media literacy. You will learn how to use a framework for deciding if a source is trustworthy or not.
1. First watch this video to get an introduction to media literacy .
2. Go through the media literacy guide below which you should use to decide a source’s trustworthiness.
Media literacy guide
You should at least be able to answer each of the four main questions.
Who is behind the source?
Is it a government agency? Is it an organisation? Is it a private person? Is it possible to see who is/are behind the source? Can you verify that the site where you’re reading this article has a good reputation as a serious news site?
Can you find information about the author and confirm that the author is a journalist? Has the author worked for other newspapers or are they an expert in the area they’re writing about?
Why is the source made?
To inform about something? To spread an opinion about something or someone? To sell something? To entertain? To mislead?
What does the source look like?
Does it have any contact information? Does it have links that works? Does it have believable references (citations)? Does it have a date of its latest update?
Can you find information about the same event from different sources?
Have you compared with what you already know?
Can you find information about the same event from different sources? Is the information different in the other sources. If that is the case, then reflect why.
Where should I search for information?
Here is an encyclopedia and some respected news channels that you might use when searching for information about an event, a news source, a group of people etc. Go to the search button and write the name of what you want to find out more about. If you don’t find anything useful here you can also use Wikipedia although it’s not as trustworthy and of course a search engine like Google.
3. Analyze the following article with the media literacy guide and information in the video.
ttps://english.pravda.ru/news/russia/156052-putin_ukraine_operation/
Write your analysis of the article where you go through the questions in the media literacy guide. Rate the article’s trustworthiness from 1-10 (where a 10 is the most trustworthy). Your argumentation for your rating will act as a summary of your analysis. Since it’s a little hard to find information about the website which is responsible for the article I will give you a source here: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Pravda
If you can’t find another good source to compare the information in the article with you can use this article from the BBC: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-64055018
These are the criteria which will be used to assess your assignment
| Not yet | Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | |
| Media literacy | Not yet | I show some knowledge of media literacy in reflections. | I show knowledge of media literacy in my reflections. | I show very good knowledge of media literacy in my reflections. |
| Betygskriterier från gymnasiekurs engelska 6 (Skolverket) | Not yet | Eleven väljer med källkritisk medvetenhet innehåll från muntliga och skriftliga källor av olika slag och använder på ett relevant sätt det valda materialet i sin egen produktion och interaktion. | Eleven väljer med källkritisk medvetenhet innehåll från muntliga och skriftliga källor av olika slag och använder på ett relevant och effektivt sätt det valda materialet i sin egen produktion och interaktion. | Eleven väljer med källkritisk medvetenhet innehåll från muntliga och skriftliga källor av olika slag och använder på ett relevant, effektivt och problematiserande sätt det valda materialet i sin egen produktion och interaktion. |
Here is a student example based on another text then the one in this assignment. See source below.
- Who is behind the source?
It’s the journalist James Delingpole that has written the article at Breitbart.com. Breitbart seems to be a site for right-wing news and for creating opinion. This makes me doubt the trustworthiness of the article, since he wrote the article from just one perspective. James Delingpole has worked at some other newspapers before. Like The Times, Daily mail and The Spectator.
- Why is the source made?
The article is a combination of spreading information and opinion. Since there’s only one reference in the article and that source, doesn’t seem to be that trustworthy either. I would question the information given in the article.
- What does the source look like?
The link to Global Warming Policy Foundation works, and there is contact information and date of the latest update. He refers to different people at different universities, which makes the source more trustworthy.
- Can you find information about the same event from different sources?
The weather phenomenon El Niño and La Niña exist. Even though the temperature plummeted in 2016 by La Niña, other articles say that this is not proof of that there is no global warming. Since El Niño has become warmer in resent years. I think that the sources are different depending on what political perspective the author has. If you read a scientific article, it looks at different long therm perspectives instead of making conclusions after a short therm change in the climate.
I rate the article’s trustworthiness 5 out of 10. You can take some information from the article that is true. But since it’s a right wing news site, I personally would not completely trust the whole article. I think that the author try to make it seem like global warming dos not exist, which I don’t agree with. James Delingpole doesn’t refer to more than one source, and that source he only showed one perspective of.
Link to article: https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2016/11/30/global-temperatures-plunge-icy-silence-climate-alarmists/
Discussion questions
- Why is it important with checking your sources?
- Is it more important today than let’s say 50 years ago? Why/why not?
- What do you have to check to know that you source is reliable?
Wordlist
Relieable
Credible
Fakenews
- Media Literacy: The ability to access, analyze, evaluate, and create media content in various forms, including print, digital, and visual.
- Critical Thinking: The skill of objectively analyzing information to form a reasoned judgment or decision, crucial for discerning reliable sources in media.
- Fact-Checking: The practice of verifying information to ensure its accuracy and authenticity, especially important in an era of rampant misinformation.
- Media Manipulation: Techniques used to alter, edit, or present media content in a way that may distort or misrepresent the original message.
- Clickbait: Sensationalized or misleading online content designed to attract clicks and views, often at the expense of accuracy or truthfulness.
- Filter Bubble: The personalized information ecosystem created by algorithms, where individuals are exposed primarily to content that aligns with their existing beliefs and interests.
- Privacy Concerns: Issues related to the protection of personal information online, including data collection, surveillance, and cybersecurity.
- Stereotyping: Generalized and oversimplified beliefs or assumptions about a particular group of people, often perpetuated by media.
- Media Literacy Education: Formal or informal instruction aimed at developing critical thinking skills and promoting responsible media consumption.
- Satire: A form of humor or commentary that uses irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to critique or mock societal issues, often found in comedy shows or publications.
- Public Discourse: The collective exchange of ideas, opinions, and information in society, influenced by media platforms and outlets.
Mr Smedjeback's English Class 