As the prevalence of disinformation and deepfakes continues to pose challenges for digitally native young people, an increasing number of states are turning to media literacy education as a potential solution. The goal of this education, also known as digital citizenship or information literacy, is to equip students with critical thinking skills to discern factual information from misleading content across various media platforms.
Over the past five years, states like California, Delaware, Illinois, New Jersey, and Texas have passed laws mandating media literacy education in public schools. Despite bipartisan support, some conservative scholars criticize these measures, arguing that certain curriculums associated with media literacy promote “woke” ideologies and may infringe on parental values.
California, facing a significant budget shortfall, aims to incorporate media literacy into core subjects such as English, science, math, and social studies. While funding challenges persist, proponents emphasize the urgency of cultivating media literacy skills, citing incidents like the 2021 Capitol assault fueled by misinformation and conspiracy theories.
In Washington state, lawmakers are poised to pass bipartisan legislation allocating funds to schools for evaluating and enhancing existing media literacy courses. This move reflects a collaborative effort between Democrats and Republicans to ensure students are better prepared for the evolving technological landscape and information ecosystem. Despite concerns about the potential politicization of media literacy, bipartisan support remains crucial in advancing these initiatives and addressing the complex challenges posed by misinformation in the digital age.
In Washington state, where media literacy legislation has gained bipartisan support, concerns from some Republican members, like state Sen. Jim McCune, highlight the perceived vagueness of the bill and its imposition on education. McCune contends that media literacy is something individuals learn organically and questions the effectiveness of mandating it in schools, suggesting that if students need help recognizing disinformation, they should turn to their parents. This perspective, however, overlooks the core purpose of media literacy education, according to Erin McNeill, CEO of Media Literacy Now. McNeill emphasizes that media literacy is not about dictating the right sources but equipping students with critical-thinking skills to ask the right questions and discern information validity.
Nationwide, at least 19 states incorporate some form of media literacy education in public schools, with active bills in several states, including Indiana, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Hampshire, and Oklahoma. Media literacy is becoming an integral part of various subjects, as seen in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where a science teacher integrates media literacy lessons into lessons about the electromagnetic spectrum. The teacher, Saba Presley, emphasizes the importance of teaching students how manipulation tactics are used in media and cultivating skepticism.
While media literacy is increasingly recognized as vital, the implementation varies, contributing to disparities in what students are taught. A Rand Corporation paper highlights the unevenness and divergent experiences among teachers, with concerns about insufficient instructional resources and training. In Illinois, media literacy is mandatory for high school students, but the lessons come in diverse forms, illustrating the need for a comprehensive approach across disciplines to foster essential literacy skills for the digital age.