last updated
10/30/2014
News / Information / Media Literacy.
What is Information Literacy?
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Multiple
"literacies" for multiple technologies.
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The use
of texts, tools, and technologies to access news, information and
entertainment.
-
Skills
for critical thinking -
The Critical Thinking Process
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Abilities to create messages across media
-
Comfort
with reflection, evaluation and ethical thinking about messages
and information sources.
Key
Skills of Information / News / Media Literacy
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Judging
credibility of authors, sources and messages
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Who
is the author (and what are his qualifications and reputation and
that of the publisher)?
-
What
is the purpose of the message? (point of view, outcome
desired, etc.)
-
How
is the message constructed? (what is seen and unseen,
edited, distorted, etc.)
-
Using
media "codes" for analysis. (see previous notes on "What is
News" and "News as Persuasion" and "Bias"
(See "Critical Media"
notes)
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Finding
and confirming information from multiple and reliable sources
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What
makes sources more or less reliable? (the author's sources?
information in context?)
-
What
constitutes an appropriate search (for news and information)?
-
How
does new information fit with what we already know
and can trust?
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Evaluating the "argument."
-
Does
the information source use support material? of good
quality?
-
Does
the information source reason well (e.g. support is relevant and
does it actually proves the point)?
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Consider the "warrant," that is how the support/evidence
"proves" the point being made.
-
Does
the information source avoid fallacies and biases (e.g.
confirmation bias, ad
hominem, post hoc, false analogies, anecdotal evidence, etc.)?
-
Does
the information source deal effectively with "counter-arguments?"
or even acknowledge them?
-
Does
the message truncate reasoning and reflection (with emotion,
fallacies, appeals to in-group/out-groups, mental shortcuts) or
facilitate.
-
Is
there a theme that "frames" the message and is it reasonable given
the "facts."
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