National News Literacy Week

PRESENTED BY

The News Literacy Project and Scripps

Underscoring the vital role of news literacy in a democracy

Presented by the News Literacy Project and The E.W. Scripps Company, this annual initiative provides people of all ages with the knowledge and tools to become better informed and more civically engaged.

National News Literacy Week 2024 (Jan. 22-26) turned a spotlight on local news and its role in a healthy democracy.

The week included free events for educators and the public, in person and virtual as well as other news literacy resources.

ABOUT

Join us next year

National News Literacy Week 2025 will be held Jan. 27-31.

Who hosts it?

News Literacy Project — a nonpartisan education nonprofit building a national movement to create a more news-literate America. NLP is the nation’s leading provider of news literacy education.

The E.W. Scripps Company — one of the nation’s largest local TV broadcasters, serving communities with quality, objective local journalism.

Take action now

Don’t wait to get involved. Join our movement today!

RumorGuard

For Everyone

RumorGuard™ teaches people how to identify credible information, debunk viral rumors and help stop the spread of misinformation.

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NewsLitNation

For Educators

NewsLitNation® is a national membership community that brings together educators to collaborate and share best practices and provides exclusive access to events and classroom resources.

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EVENTS

Spotlight on local news

During our fifth annual News Literacy Week, we explored the crisis in local news coverage and efforts to keep it alive. Local news is the backbone of how we stay informed about issues and events that directly impact us, and it’s the glue that makes a town or city a real community. But in the last 20 years, more than 2,000 local newspapers have closed, leaving far too many people poorly informed. During the week we showcased industry professionals, journalism students, educators and others tackling this crisis with workable solutions.

WATCH EVENT RECORDINGS
Click an event name for links to a recording and full event details.

Monday, Jan. 22

Extra, extra: How to solve the local news crisis

For Everyone

An in-person panel discussion at the National Press Club moderated by former NBC News correspondent Tracie Potts with Steven Waldman (Rebuild Local News), Sarabeth Berman (American Journalism Project), Margaret Sullivan (Guardian media critic & author of Ghosting the News: Local Journalism and the Crisis of American Democracy) and Kimi Yoshino (Baltimore Banner).

See Full Event Details

WATCH RECORDING

Tuesday, Jan. 23

Behind the scenes with the Washington Post TikTok team

For Educators and Students

In this live-streamed conversation, the Washington Post’s TikTok team (Dave Jorgensen and Carmella Boykin) discussed the ins and outs of producing newsy short-form videos and answered questions from students who use NLP’s resources to learn news literacy skills.

See Full Event Details

WATCH RECORDING

Wednesday, Jan. 24

How student journalists are helping to fill the gap in local news

For Everyone

This student-led, virtual panel discussion demonstrated how young people are making a difference in the coverage of their communities and ensuring their audiences have access to relevant and high-quality journalism. Panelists included Sara Maloney, managing editor of The Eudora Times, Ashlyn Myers, reporter for TheStateHouseFile.com and Harsidak Singh of The Arlington Amp.

See Full Event Details

WATCH RECORDING

Thursday, Jan. 25

How to find local news you can trust

For Everyone

This virtual webinar focused on how to determine whether local sources of news are credible and how to successfully navigate our rapidly changing information environment.

See Full Event Details

WATCH RECORDING

Friday, Jan. 26

NewsLitCamp®: The importance of local news

For Educators and Students

This virtual, immersive day of professional learning for educators addressed the importance of local news and was presented in partnership with The E.W. Scripps Company.

See Full Event Details

WATCH RECORDING

THE HOSTS

The News Literacy Project is a nonpartisan education nonprofit building a national movement to create a more news-literate America. NLP is the nation’s leading provider of news literacy education.

E.W. Scripps Company is one of the nation’s largest local TV broadcasters, serving communities with quality, objective local journalism.

NLP IN THE NEWS

News Literacy Project staff and partners shared their expertise with media outlets around the nation. Some highlights:

United Press International

“In a functioning democracy, high-quality local journalism is essential to ensuring that community leaders are working in the public’s best interest,” NLP President and CEO Charles Salter wrote, “Local news unites communities, serving as the proverbial ‘water cooler’…”

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The Chicago Tribune

“We will never stop the supply of bad information. There will always be new sources that create and spread it and algorithms that promote it,” wrote David Hiller, a member of NLP’s National Journalism Advisory Council. “Instead, we must fix the demand side and ensure that everyone has the skills they need to separate fact from fiction and seek out quality news.”

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Governing

The increasing adoption of news literacy education is an acknowledgment that students need help understanding our chaotic media environment so they can become well-informed citizens with the skills to participate effectively and knowledgeably in our democracy at every level of government,” said Shaelynn Farnsworth, senior director of education partnership strategy at NLP.

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The Fulcrum

“It’s easy to get angry when we’re confronted with misinformation — that’s what it’s designed to do,” said Susan Minichiello, senior manager of education design at NLP. “But learning how to sort fact from fiction online while also practicing empathy will go a long way in fixing the misinformation crisis.”

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Scripps News Reports

This year, news literacy is focusing on responsible sharing, something that’s become so important given how much Americans rely on social media for their news and information,” said Adam Symson, CEO of the E.W. Scripps Company. “So, we really want to focus on arming people with the tools they need.”

LISTEN

NEWS LITERACY RESOURCES

Start exploring news literacy resources today, courtesy of The News Literacy Project.

Breaking News Checklist

Learn six best practices to help you navigate fast-moving stories.

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6 things to know about AI

See an overview of how this technology works and six news literacy takeaways to keep in mind as these tools evolve.

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Seven standards of quality journalism

Learn what standards lead journalists to the most accurate, fair and useful information possible.

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SCRIPPS FIELD REPORTS

Stories about news literacy and National News Literacy Week brought to you by Scripps local stations.

The war on misinformation in modern wartime

During modern warfare, there are two battles: the fight from the front lines and the fight on misinformation online.

WATCH

Student journalists committed to getting it right

The teens who produce the news broadcasts for their n Bakersfield, California, high school want to be sure their peers can rely on them for credible reporting.

WATCH

High school class gets a lesson in fact-checking

A local TV journalist helps Appleton, Wisconsin, high school students understand the importance of fact-checking in a world swamped by misinformation.

WATCH

Young people are increasingly getting their news online

Nearly 50% of young people don't trust national media, according to a poll by the Pew Research Center.

WATCH

FOR EVERYONE

Checkology® can help you tell the difference between fact and fiction.

What is Checkology?