Information Literacy, Technology, and Digital Media

Image description: Media Literacy infographic (Firth, n.d.).

This infographic by Australian illustrator Sarah Firth (n.d.) is being shared because it perfectly reflects the complexity of modern media literacy. It's a helpful visual that Firth created to encourage students to reflect on their role as a digital citizen (MoAD, n.d.).

Information and media literacy are the frameworks in which an individual successfully navigates information and media by evaluating sources, creating content, and using information ethically, effectively, and safely. In a technological and digital world, the need for this skill has skyrocketed. Because school librarians are information professionals, a monumental task has been entrusted to them in educating young generations on information and media literacy, especially in an online context.

In Joyce Valenza's SJL blog post "Truth, Truthiness, Triangulation: A News Literacy Toolkit for a 'Post-Truth' World," she covers some of the blind spots students sometimes possess when evaluating information, among other topics, such as not noticing the author of a piece of media being politically or financially motivated to create it, or trusting a source too quickly because of a .org URL. If a school librarian is aware of media mistakes students often make, they are able to tailor lessons to address them.

Check out this engaging and insightful episode of the podcast The Liturgists titled "Fake News & Media Literacy" (2017). In an interview with Clay Johnson, author of The Information Diet, he shared a humorous rap song with host Michael Gungor on his five questions when evaluating a source:

Warning: expletives implied. 
 
            1. Who wrote this ****?
            2. Who published it? Do they have an editorial review board?
            3. There's a date you see?
            4. Gonna cite that source?
            5. This ***** can't write, so you better make it right and say "it's fake."

In plainer English, Johnson's five questions are: 
 
1. Who wrote or authored this?
2. Who published this?
3. Is there a date? 
4. Are sources cited?
5. Is there proper grammar and spelling?

In an information-saturated world, it can be a lot to ask of someone to always evaluate every single source, especially when casually browsing. However, these are very simple flags to look out for when reading an article or watching a news story. Also, the reasonings behind some of these questions are very clever. For example, Johnson says to check for a date because fake news articles often do not include one in order to later present it as just happening, extending the lifespan of the fake article to be used again and again to incite anger, fear, and other negative emotions. Also, Johnson interestingly points out that another thing to vigilant of is politicians and other entities weaponizing the concept of fake news by accusing actual news of being fake.

GIF description: Trump pointing with text "Fake News."

Personally, I consume a lot of Associated Press news articles, articles posted on social media, and YouTube video essays. I would like to believe I am diligent in not falling for misinformation, but I know I am not impervious to it.

Because a school librarian is a beacon of information literacy, their media diet should be comprehensive and intentional, designed to keep them aware of trends in media and technology to better serve students, staff, and the school community. Some examples of what school librarians should have a balanced intake and curation of include:

1. Professional journals and publications
2. Resources on media and technology use
3. Resources on information and media literacy
4. Student trends and interests on social media
5. Student trends and interests in literature
6. Current events

References
Firth, S. (n.d.). Exploring media literacy [Infographic]. Retrieved from moadoph.gov.au/learn/activities-and-resources/exploring-media-literacy.

Gungor, M. (Host). (2017). Fake news & media literacy (No. 54) [Audio podcast episode]. In The Liturgists. open.spotify.com/show/6iy3jgon8P9aGOkTdKZcfj.

MoAD. (n.d.). Exploring media literacy: Introduce students to the importance of being media literate citizens. Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House. Retrieved from moadoph.gov.au/learn/activities-and-resources/exploring-media-literacy.

Valenza, J. (2016). Truth, truthiness, and triangulation: A news literacy toolkit for a "post-truth" world [Blog post]. School Library Journal. Retrieved from blogs.slj.com/neverendingsearch/2016/11/26/truth-truthiness-triangulation-and-the-librarian-way-a-news-literacy-toolkit-for-a-post-truth-world/

Comments

Amber said…
I was also intrigued by the information about the ways in which people spread misinformation by using true facts out of the context of time to make outdated information seem current and relevant. I would imagine that would be a difficult concept for learners to grasp without direct instruction, because if they are seeing a video that depicts someone saying something, its hard to imagine that it not real news. Its hard to not believe your own eyes. Students need to be introduced to the ways in which context can skew meaning, so that they are aware of all the ways in which information can be manipulated to elicit the response the creator wants. It is especially hard to suspend belief when the information being consumed aligns with your own way of thinking anyway. Another thing they said in the podcast that I thought was poignant was that for so many, the determining factor about whether news is real or fake is whether or not we agree with it. We have to ensure that those whom we are entrusted to teach to access and use information have the tools and understanding necessary to see beyond their own narrow views and look at every piece of information coming at them with a critical eye. Only then can they can make truly informed decisions that will create a better society for all.
June 29, 2025 at 5:50 PM

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