In this episode, I had the privilege of speaking with Howie Schneider, the executive director of the Center for News Literacy at Stony Brook University's School of Communication and Journalism. Howie shared his fascinating journey from a 35-year career in journalism, including being the editor of Newsday, to leading the charge in preparing citizens to navigate today's complex information landscape.
We delved into why Stony Brook created the first university course in the U.S. focused specifically on news literacy, defining reliable information not just as "truth," but as "actionable information." Howie explained their crucial realization that teaching these skills at the university level was "way, way too late," which led them to partner with K-12 districts to integrate news literacy into required instruction, starting as early as kindergarten.
We discussed the major challenges students (and all of us) face, including information overload, the tension between speed and accuracy, blurring lines between sources, and the impact of our own biases. Howie outlined the essential concepts they teach: slowing down, asking critical questions about sources and evidence, practicing lateral reading, and becoming your own factchecker. He stressed that district leadership and commitment are key to making this transformative change and addressing the equity issue of relying on individual teachers.
Our conversation touched on what keeps him up at night, including the slow progress in states like New York compared to others, the crisis facing the news industry, and the overwhelming "tsunami" of misinformation and disinformation we all face. Howie shared valuable advice for school leaders on why this work is urgent and how they can get involved and set an example.
Are we ready to empower our students (and ourselves) to confidently discern reliable information in a world awash with news and fakes? Tune in to learn how we can help the next generation navigate the information revolution!
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Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
00:58 The Birth of News Literacy
04:30 Challenges in News Literacy Education
13:36 Implementing News Literacy in K-12 Education
23:23 Future of News Literacy and Final Thoughts