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California schools to teach students to spot fake news

November 11, 2023

 

By JOSH FRIEDMAN

California schools will next year begin teaching students media literacy in an attempt to combat the spread of misinformation.

Last month, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law Assembly Bill 873. The law requires that, starting Jan. 1, 2024, all K-12 students learn media literacy skills, including recognizing fake news and thinking critically about what they see on the internet. 

Educators will weave the material into existing classes and lessons throughout the school year, as opposed to forming standalone media literacy courses.

The new law does not include funding to train teachers, an advisory committee, input from librarians, surveys or a way to monitor the law’s effectiveness — all suggestions that came from the nonprofit organization Media Literacy Now.

Assemblyman Marc Berman (D—Palo Alto), who authored AB 873, said those features can be implemented later. Keeping the legislation simple was key to getting it passed and implemented quickly, Berman said.

Berman authored AB 873 amid rising distrust in news media, particularly among young people. A 2022 Pew Research Center survey found that adults under the age of 30 are nearly as likely to believe information they find on social media as they are to believe information reported by national news outlets. 


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I can see it now, MSNBC- Good, Fox- Bad.


13

Does that mean we no longer need to read the Tribune?


21

How do you teach someone not to believe what they see, hear, read and are told?


Maybe just stick to math, science, history/government, English, art/music, physical ed/sports and life skills.


18

“How do you teach someone not to believe what they see,” I know right?


Everyone has cellphones with cameras, do we see sasquatch, the holy ghost, spirits or aliens? Nope.


Critical thinking and filtering the bullshit is a life skill, it’s no wonder the youth of today no longer trust their “elders”.


-12

Good news! This means the first thing students should learn is there is no existential “Climate Crises”. Unfortunately, we don’t have a law requiring California students to acquire Civics/Citizenship, History and Science literacy skills.


12

Thank you for that perfect example of why we need to begin teaching students media literacy.


-19

1st we need to teach a piece of history….up until 100 years ago math curriculum included one year of critical think/logic (which I’ve been teaching for 20 years as a homeschooling Dad). I’m afraid California’s idea of fake news will simply be “Conservative bad…Progressive good…class over).


47

“critical think/logic (which I’ve been teaching for 20 years”


“I’m afraid California’s idea of fake news will……”


Critical thinking?


I have worked with (fellow employees) people that were homeschooled and they did not have what it takes. Your house is different, but the ones I know can not accept so many things, whole sections of science and most were cultists, no more logic needed.


One guy lasted just 6 hours because he was told (not by us) that attempting to convert the customers in their own homes, on the clock was ok.


Common sense is, no longer common.


-34

If we simply taught critical thinking skills as we used to, this problem would take care of itself. For too many years teachers have been hit over the head with the cudgel of test scores and have been teaching to the test rather than producing well rounded thinkers.


27

What does our school system know about true, honest reporting? This is just a back door approach to censorship.


53

Sounds like a great idea. Let’s enhance the indoctrination process. How about teaching the children to love there Country and to respect people and their property.


52

“A 2022 Pew Research Center survey found that adults under the age of 30 are nearly as likely to believe information they find on social media as they are to believe information reported by national news outlets.”

Well, now- that should tell us a lot about the quality and veracity of the so-called national “news” outlets, shouldn’t it? 


51
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