Session 1: 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT Tuesday, Oct. 24

Session 2: 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT Tuesday, Nov. 16

When a friend or loved one shares a viral hoax, fabricated photo or conspiracy theory, how do you respond? With the holiday season and a presidential election ahead of us, we can expect to encounter rumors and falsehoods along with heated debate. We each have an opportunity within our networks of influence to build understanding and trust in our democracy. This webinar offers strategies for productive, civil conversations – especially when discussing misinformation.

Experts from the News Literacy Project, the National Institute for Civil Discourse and the League of Women Voters will talk about how and why misinformation manipulates emotions and exploits biases, provide strategies for civil conversation and resources to help you debunk falsehoods in a productive way and discuss opportunities to help your community find reliable election information.

We’re hosting two different sessions of the same webinar – pick the date and time that works best for you.

Meet the Presenters

DeMario Phipps-Smith is the senior manager of community learning for NLP, where he leads news literacy training for adults around the country.

Dr. Carolyn Lukensmeyer is the former executive director of the National Institute for Civil Discourse, the founder of the nonprofit AmericaSpeaks and a leader in the field of deliberative democracy.

Chelsey Cartwright is the program manager for the League of Women Voters Democracy Truth Project, where she works to counter mis- and disinformation and to advance a better public understanding of the democratic and electoral process.

Register for Oct. 24.

Register for Nov. 16.

Join us on Oct. 27 for a National NewsLitCamp with Report for America, a virtual, immersive day of professional learning built exclusively for educators.

Friday, October. 27, 2023
9 A.M. – 6 P.M. EST

Ready to integrate news literacy topics into your classroom? Want to connect directly with journalists and learn more about how to help students navigate our increasingly complex information landscape?

Join us for this virtual, immersive day of professional learning built exclusively for educators, presented by the News Literacy Project in partnership with Report for America.

Registration is now open.

This NewsLitCamp® with Report for America is a free series of sessions led by journalists from Report for America as well as news literacy experts. It is designed to help educators address topics around news and media literacy in the classroom with confidence.

Topics will include:

• What it means to be “news literate.”
• Reporting on your own community: exploring ethics and objectivity in community journalism.
• Bringing journalists to the classroom with Report for America.
• Understanding news media bias.

In addition, a feature session at 1 p.m. ET will showcase our brand-new, on-demand NewsLitNation Professional Learning platform, which contains in-depth news and media literacy courses for educators. Join us to hear about this exciting benefit available exclusively for our NewsLitNation members and learn more about the accompanying News Literacy Educator Certificate!

The first session starts at 9 a.m. ET with additional sessions continuing throughout the day until 6 p.m ET. All session descriptions will be available on our Eventbrite online event page. 

Reserve your spot today!

The event is open to all educators. No matter where you are or what grade level or subject area you teach, if you’re an educator interested in news literacy, we’d love to see you there. There is no cost to attend.

Can’t make the whole day but really interested in a few sessions? That’s OK — you are still welcome to attend the sessions that fit your schedule. Reserve your spot today!

All sessions will be recorded and made available to everyone who registers.

Questions? Email us at [email protected].

This free webinar for educators, presented by the News Literacy Project and hosted by edWeb, explores strategies for teaching students news literacy — particularly through leveraging Checkology®️ lessons and Newsroom to Classroom journalist visits.

Tuesday, August 29, 2023
5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT

News and media literacy is essential for people of all ages — especially students, who are growing up in the most complex information landscape in human history. It’s essential to teach students a deep understanding of bias as it relates to the news media so that they can accurately evaluate information and decide what to share with others. Journalists, professionals we depend on to gather, verify and present credible information, can be key to this effort.

During this edWeb webinar, you’ll discover best practices for teaching students news literacy by leveraging the News Literacy Project’s Checkology®️ lessons and Newsroom to Classroom visits to make news literacy tangible for learners. Newsroom to Classroom is a free program designed to demystify the practice of quality journalism by connecting students with vetted journalists or editors behind the headlines. Hear from Mindy Katz, an English teacher at Abington Senior High School in Pennsylvania who has used Newsroom to Classroom, as well as journalists Indira Lakshmanan, of The Associated Press, Shane Harris of the Washington Post and journalist and digital consultant Adriana Lacy, as they reflect on their experiences and share the impact of the program on students. Brittney Smith, senior manager of education partnerships at the News Literacy Project, will moderate.

Register today – it’s free!

Additionally, the presenters will highlight some of the resources (including the News Literacy Project’s “Understanding Bias” lesson on Checkology) that are available to support educators as we all work to make progress toward a future built on facts.

This webinar will be of interest to middle and high school teachers, librarians, and school and district leaders. There will be time for questions at the end of the presentation.

Ready to embark on your news and media literacy journey this school year?

Learn how to use NLP Education and Checkology® to teach cross-disciplinary topics such as credible evidence, misinformation, skepticism toward the news and more.

This webinar is an introduction to popular features and recently added content on Checkology, the free, browser-based virtual classroom designed for grades 6-12 from the News Literacy Project, a nonpartisan national education nonprofit. In just one hour, you’ll learn about how to incorporate some of the latest Checkology lessons and activities in your curriculum — including the popular and recently updated “InfoZones” lesson and the engaging exercise “Is it Legit?”

This webinar is offered at three different dates and times; register for the session that best fits your schedule.

• Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2023
  7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT

• Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2023
  5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT

• Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023
  4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT

Participants will hear from the News Literacy Project’s Shaelynn Farnsworth, senior director of education partnership strategy, Erin Olson, senior manager of education partnerships, and Brittney Smith, senior manager of education partnerships.

These educator-experts will:

• Introduce the latest NLP Education and Checkology features and content, including resources on urgently needed news literacy topics, such as the “Levels of Scientific Evidence” trio (lesson, tutorial and infographic) and the “Harm and Distrust” and “Understanding Bias” lessons.

• Discuss the educator registration process and explain how you can quickly build Checkology courses and assign lessons.

***All attendees will have a chance to win a back-to-school educator care pack!***

(Can’t make any of the times but still interested? Register for a session anyway, and we’ll email you the recording.)

This free webinar for educators, presented by the News Literacy Project, focuses on how educators can begin their school year teaching issues related to the First Amendment and student press rights.

Thursday, August 3, 2023
5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT

How well do students understand the First Amendment and their own student press rights? And how can educators engage their students in meaningful discussions about these topics?

Hear two perspectives from Adriana Chavira and David Doerr, veteran student journalism advisers and news literacy ambassadors. These educators will discuss how they begin their school year by teaching issues related to the First Amendment and student press rights, with the help of resources from the News Literacy Project.

Chavira, from California, and Doerr, from Texas, will also discuss how the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1988 Hazelwood ruling has eroded student press rights where there are no state laws defining when administrators can intervene in the student publication process, and how this affects topics that students cover in their publications.

Register today – it’s free!

(Can’t make it at this time but still interested? Register anyway, and we’ll email you the recording.)

Join the News Literacy Project for a free educator webinar to discover how to teach news literacy skills that will serve your students throughout summer school and beyond.

Students often encounter an overwhelming amount of information in their day-to-day lives — especially online and often during times of unstructured exploration (such as academic breaks!). Summer school is an opportunity to teach them about the importance of media and news literacy. It’s also a time to supply your students with the critical thinking skills and habits of mind to help them tell fact from fiction.

In this free educator webinar, you’ll learn how to take the plunge into teaching with the Checkology®️ virtual classroom by incorporating it as a part of your summer school curriculum.

Participants will explore two interdisciplinary courses developed especially for summer school:

• “Summer School,” which focuses on building up students’ ability to differentiate between news, opinion and advertisements and on identifying misinformation.
• “STEM Summer,” which explores evaluating science- and data-based claims as well as analyzing science journalism.

The discussion will also cover additional resources and activities that can help develop skills such as fact-checking and evaluating sources. NLP’s educator experts Shaelynn Farnsworth, Brittney Smith and Erin Olson will lead the webinar.

(Can’t make the time? Register anyway and we’ll email you the recording afterward.)

For more on summer school resources from the News Literacy Project, visit the Dive into News Literacy resource hub.

Join the News Literacy Project for a free educator webinar to discover how to teach students about misinformation.

Wednesday, April 19
4:00 PM CT

Can your students tell fact from fiction and recognize credible evidence and sources? As AI feeds into the digital landscape, empower your students with essential media and news literacy skills. Join a free webinar to discover strategies for teaching about misinformation — what it is, how it functions, how to spot it and how to debunk it – and empowering students with critical media and news literacy skills.

You’ll hear from:

• Peter Adams, NLP’s senior vice president of research and design.
• Hannah Covington, NLP’s senior manager of education design.
• Members of NLP’s Education Partnership Strategy team.

This live, virtual discussion is free and open to educators.

Topics will include:

• The state of today’s digital landscape, including the challenges posed by generative artificial intelligence such as ChatGPT.
• Strategies for helping students determine the credibility of evidence and sources.
• Best practices for teaching about misinformation and conspiratorial thinking.

Participants will come away with a roadmap for getting started with teaching about misinformation, including how to use the “Misinfo 101” course offered on the News Literacy Project’s free Checkology virtual classroom (register for an educator account or sign in to access and assign the full course).

For more on “Misinfo 101,” visit the Misinfo 101 resource hub.

This free webinar for educators, presented by the News Literacy Project on edWeb.net, focuses on tackling difficult classroom conversations about race, equity and injustices.

Teaching historical truths can sometimes lead to difficult conversations in the classroom. It is essential for us to not only meet conversations about race, equity and injustices head-on, but to do so in a way that honors all voices. We need to create a safe environment for students to learn about the past and feel empowered to change the future based on facts.

During this expert panel as part of a free webinar on edWeb.net, participants will learn about:

• the historical failure of mainstream news organizations to serve all people equally.
• the legacies of distrust this has caused among specific groups in America — particularly Black Americans.
• recent efforts by news outlets to improve their coverage.

Hear from education professionals  — Brittany Hogan, educational equity consultant, and K.C. Boyd, a news literacy ambassador and a library media specialist at Jefferson Middle School Academy in Washington, D.C. — about how they tackle these conversations in the classroom, and how they draw on their personal experiences to shed light on historical truths. Brittney Smith, NLP’s senior manager of education partnerships (East), will moderate.

In addition, the webinar will highlight some of the resources — including the News Literacy Project’s new “Harm & Distrust” lesson on Checkology® — that are available to support educators as we all work to make progress toward a more equitable and just society.

Join Peter Adams, NLP’s senior director of research and design, for a discussion that will explore how and why people fall for falsehoods.

 

Our brains do marvelous things, but they also make us vulnerable to falsehoods. Why? What leads people to fall for misinformation? And why do they share it with others? Is it all a battle between our emotions and our rational faculties? Between our ideological allies and adversaries? Or is there more to the story?

Join a panel of experts during the fourth annual National News Literacy Week to untangle the threads in our heads and hearts that can cause us to accept and spread falsehoods, even when we should know better.

Panelists include:

• Peter Adams, senior vice president of research and design at the News Literacy Project
• Dr. Sander van der Linden, professor of social psychology in society at the University of Cambridge, director of the Cambridge Social Decision-Making Lab and author of Foolproof: Why We Fall for Misinformation and How to Build Immunity

This live, virtual discussion is free and open to the public.

This event is presented in partnership with the American Psychological Association as part of National News Literacy Week.

National News Literacy Week, presented by the News Literacy Project in partnership with the E.W. Scripps Company, is Jan. 23-27, 2023. This annual event underscores the vital role of news literacy in a democracy and aims to inspire news consumers, educators and students to practice news literacy and to strengthen trust in news media by reinforcing the role of credible journalism.

Dr. Seema Yasmin was originally scheduled to participate but was unable to attend.

Educators! Give your students the opportunity to write about some of the most important topics of our time and explore how they can help combat misinformation and work to protect the freedom of the press.

Feb. 13: Early essay submission period
Feb. 14-March 13: Regular essay submission period
March 14-April 16: Extended entry submission period
April 24: Absolute deadline

Student voice is a catalyst for positive change in schools and communities. For this reason, the Allegheny Intermediate Unit (AIU3), in partnership with the News Literacy Project, is hosting a writing contest to empower students in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, to be civically informed and engaged.

Use this flyer to share contest details with your education community:

Allegheny PitchIt Contest 2023

TEACHING GOALS

• Teachers have an authentic and engaging writing assignment that amplifies student voices and explores issues aligned to district curricula, standards and required topics, such as the First Amendment.
• Students analyze different types of misinformation and show the ability to think critically about what is and is not verifiable information.
• Students apply their news and media literacy skills to solve the misinformation problem.
• This project challenges students to develop their 21st century civics and media literacy skills (see our Google Drive documents, academic contexts and connections).
• Finalists virtually receive real-time feedback from journalists in the field who report on these issues every day.

AWARDS: For each grade band, 6-8 and 9-12

Grand prize: $100 gift cards (for teacher and student winner)

First place
$75 gift card (teacher and student)

Second place
$50 gift card (teacher and student)

Third place
$25 gift card (teacher and student)

OVERVIEW

Participating teachers may choose to assign the competition curriculum for individual classes or hold a schoolwide event. Each participating school may submit up to five entries per grade.

Educators are provided with free resources, as well as planning and organizational support for instructional purposes in the PitchIt! Student Essay Contest folder on NLP’s Google Drive.

For this project, middle and high school students will write a 500- to 1,000-word essay in response to one of the news literacy writing prompts, using a news article as inspiration. Submitted essays will be judged by NLP ambassadors. Selected first- through third-place essay contest finalists (three from middle school and three from high school) will earn the opportunity to compete at the PitchIt! Grand Prize Event, where they will receive real-time feedback from journalists.

Finalists will participate in the PitchIt! Allegheny Grand Prize event on Zoom at the end of May, during which they will share their essays and receive feedback from the journalists. The grand prize winners will be chosen at this time.

ELIGIBILITY

This contest is open to middle and high school students in Allegheny County, participating with the support from a teacher. Schools are encouraged to conduct their own internal essay competition to coordinate, and teachers submit their top five essays per grade (6-8 and 9-12). Winners of the essay component must be able to attend the PitchIt! Grand Prize Event via Zoom in May (exact date and time TBD).

LEARNING TASK AND CHOOSING THE ESSAY TOPIC

News literacy is the ability to determine the credibility of news and other content to identify different types of information and to use the standards of fact-based journalism to determine what to trust, share and act on. Being news literate also means recognizing the critical role of the First Amendment and a free press in a democracy and interacting with news and information in ways that promote engaged participation in civic life.

Objective
Students will be able to develop critical thinking and news literacy skills to find reliable information to make decisions, take action and responsibly share news through social media.

Task
Students compose an essay in response to one of the news literacy writing prompts below, discussing how it relates to a local, national or international news article of their choice. They should form a thesis based on their chosen prompt and aim to convince their audience that the thesis is accurate and valid.

Summative Assessment
Students will be evaluated using the PitchIt! rubric found among the PitchIt! Student Essay Contest documents in Google Drive. Teachers should provide students with a written copy of the rubric and relevant supporting materials.

PROCESS

Step 1. Teacher introduces the writing assignment to their class, the rubric* and the process by which the top essays will advance. News literacy topics are explored with students as they relate to the curriculum. Teachers can explore the free educator resources on NewsLitNation® or the Checkology® virtual classroom on topics like the First Amendment.

Step 2. Students work with their teacher to select a news article/topic of their choice and to select one of the prompts below to follow in writing the essay. Encourage students to use the student planning document* as an outline before submitting a final draft.

Step 3. Teachers select up to five student essay finalists per grade, per school, and submit them to Deborah Domingues-Murphy, [email protected].

Step 4. NLP’s educator panel selects six essays (three from middle school and three from high school) to advance to the Grand Prize round. 

Step 5. Panel notifies the teacher at the end of April. The selected students then begin creating a visual presentation of their essay (PowerPoint or Google Slides), to compete in the final phase of the contest.

Step 6. Essay finalists make their presentation (the “pitch”) to a panel of journalists and state legislators during the PitchIt! Grand Prize Event. Panelists choose the first-, second- and third-place champion titles for middle school competitors and high school competitors, who will be awarded during the event.

*Click here for the Google Drive folder with PitchIt! educator resources.

PROMPTS

• The First Amendment has five freedoms, and in many ways, they are dependent on one another. Explain how other freedoms of the First Amendment are required to protect the freedom of the press.
• What steps should someone take to fact-check false statements by a well-known figure and what problems might arise as a result (either from the false statements or from the fact checking)?
• People have responsibilities — things that they should do but are not required to by law. Why would providing reliable information be a responsibility?
• Imagine you heard a rumor about a public figure, but you’re not sure if it is true or not. What are the potential consequences if you share it online?

CRITERIA

• Essays must be the original, unpublished work of one student.
• Essays must be 500-1,000 words, clearly addressing one of the prompts.
• Essays must be typed in 12-point, Times New Roman, double-spaced with 1-inch margins and numbered pages
• All essays and presentations must have a title.
• Students must include at least three credible sources to support their thesis.
• Essays must use MLA formatting, complete with in-text citations and a Works Cited page (not included in the word count). See Purdue Owl MLA Guide.
• Organization: Students must include an introduction with a thesis statement, multiple body paragraphs and a conclusion. See Purdue Owl Argumentative Essays.
• Essays must be proofread and should follow the rules for standard English (grammar, punctuation, mechanics) in writing. See Purdue Owl Grammar.
• Plagiarism: Any submission that is in part or wholly plagiarized will be disqualified from the PitchIt! competition. See Purdue Owl Plagiarism.
• A cover page MUST be included with the following information: Title of essay, student name, grade level, student’s complete mailing address, student’s email address, school’s name, principal’s name, teacher’s name, and best phone number and email address for the teacher.
• Only five essays from each grade may be submitted per school.
• Finalists must be able to virtually participate in the PitchIt! Grand Prize event at the end of May (TBD).

STUDENT ESSAY TIPS

• Essays must have a recognizable beginning (opening or introduction), middle and end (closing or conclusion).
• Hook the reader with a strong opener. Readers will use the first few sentences to decide whether they will read the whole essay.
• Keep your paragraphs short. Popular essays tend to average three sentences per paragraph.
• Submit thoroughly thought-out, tightly focused essays. Originality is also important.
• In the conclusion, include a call to action. Encourage readers to take some positive steps. For instance, if you’ve given them a list of tips, prompt them to put some of the tips into practice.

Contest Deadline: April 24, 2023.

While not required, we recommend schools conduct their own internal essay contest to establish the top essays for submission. Schools/teachers should submit their top five winning essays per grade with cover letter via email to: Deborah Domingues-Murphy, news literacy ambassador, [email protected].

FAQs:

Is there a submission fee? No fees! Better yet, there is no catch. All our educator resources are free, including Checkology!

What does “teacher support” mean? Successful writers are made through direct instruction. Teachers are encouraged to support students in both content and the writing process. The teacher’s name and contact information must also be indicated in the cover letter as the primary point of contact regarding the entry.

How are the essays judged? Essays will be reviewed by news literacy ambassadors using the PitchIt! rubric. Successful essays are about a local, national or international story that would have benefited from news literacy skills being applied to stop the spread of misinformation. For example, consider the impact a story had, and whether false claims about it could be debunked using reputable and verifiable sources of information.

How is the “pitch” judged? The first-, second- and third-place essay winners advance to the Grand Prize Event phase of the contest. To prepare, they must create a visual presentation based on their essay theme (PowerPoint or Google Slides). During the event they will each have three minutes to “pitch” their essay idea to a panel of journalists and will receive real-time feedback from the panel. Student presentations will be judged for creativity, delivery, impact and accuracy during the event (end of May).

What document formats are accepted? Please submit the essay as a Google doc, PDF or a Word document.

How are the finalists announced? Email notification will be sent to the teacher by the end of April.

I am not in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. Can I still participate? Sorry, not at this time. This year, the PitchIt! contest is open to all Allegheny County students in middle and high school.

I have more questions! Do you have contacts? Questions about NLP resources can be directed to Kim Bowman, senior associate of user success, [email protected]. Questions about rules can be directed to Miriam Romais, director of NewsLitNation, at [email protected], and questions about entries can be directed to our Pittsburgh News Literacy ambassador, Deborah Domingues-Murphy, at [email protected].

In this moderated discussion, Chicago journalists explain how to earn trust by involving audiences in the editorial process.

 

McCormick Foundation Center Forum, Northwestern Medill, 1870 Campus Dr., Evanston, IL 60208

Chicago has produced some of the nation’s most storied journalists and a variety of unique media outlets, making it one of the leading journalism laboratories in the country. During our fourth annual National News Literacy Week, we are exploring why trust in the news media is declining among some Americans and presenting a panel of innovative Chicago journalists to discuss how they are building trust in their work. These journalists are involving their audiences in their editorial processes, hosting listening sessions, rethinking subscription models, prioritizing transparency with sources, and training young journalists and community members. We will hear from journalists with Chicago Public Media, Block Club Chicago and City Bureau and an expert from the Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications to help us understand how their work is helping to create a more news-literate nation and why it’s important to do so. Join us at 5 p.m. CT Tuesday, Jan. 24 for this free public event at the McCormick Foundation Center Forum on the Northwestern Medill campus in Evanston, Illinois. If you can’t be there in person, please join our livestream on our YouTube channel.

• Alejandra Cancino, deputy editor of City Bureau
• Jennifer Kho, executive editor of the Chicago Sun-Times
• Jen Sabella, co-founder and director of strategy of Block Club Chicago

Michael Spikes, lecturer at Northwestern Medill and director of the Teach for Chicago Journalism Program, will provide an introduction that will help us understand the state of public trust in the news media.

This event is presented in partnership with the Northwestern Medill School of Journalism, Media and Integrated Marketing Communications. Illinois teachers can receive two Professional Development Clock Hours (also known as CPDU credits) by attending this event. If you’re a Chicago-area teacher joining us in person, please see Katie Fernandez at the event to complete your paperwork. Teachers who wish to attend virtually should email katie.fernandez[at]northwestern.edu for instructions to receive PD credits.

National News Literacy Week, presented by the News Literacy Project in partnership with the E.W. Scripps Co., will be held on Jan. 23-27, 2023. This annual event underscores the vital role of news literacy in a democracy and aims to inspire news consumers, educators and students to practice news literacy and to strengthen trust in news media by reinforcing the role of credible journalism.

A look at how newsroom leaders discuss past mistakes and what they’ve learned to build greater trust with their audiences.

 

National Press Club, 529 14th St. NW, Washington, DC 20045

A recent Gallup survey found that the public’s confidence in news has fallen to an all-time low. What can news organizations do to regain trust in their work? What lessons have newsroom leaders learned from past mistakes to help their audiences understand the lengths they go through to produce credible and trustworthy news? We’ll explore this in a panel discussion moderated by News Literacy Project President and CEO Charles Salter and featuring top journalists and media experts, including:

• Tony Cavin, NPR, Managing Editor for Standards and Practices
• Sara Kehaulani Goo, Axios, Editor in Chief
• Adam Symson, The E.W. Scripps Company, President & CEO
• Krissah Thompson, Washington Post, Managing Editor

This event is presented in partnership with The E.W. Scripps Company as part of National News Literacy Week, Jan. 23-27, 2023. This annual event underscores the vital role of news literacy in a democracy and aims to inspire news consumers, educators and students to practice news literacy and to strengthen trust in news media by reinforcing the role of credible journalism.

The nonprofit Teens for Press Freedom joins the News Literacy Project for this student-led discussion on Microsoft Flip about trust and credibility.

 

This National News Literacy Week, join Microsoft Flip, the News Literacy Project and Teens for Press Freedom for a student-led conversation about the overwhelming amount of information (including misinformation) that we encounter — and how you can know what to trust. You and your students will hear practical tips and advice from young people about how they separate fact from fiction, how they determine credibility and how they decide what to share with friends or base opinions on. Then stick around for a Q&A to see if your students’ news literacy question is selected to be answered live by our experts! Register for the event or submit a question by joining our event Flip group. Register for the this free event or submit a question by joining our event Flip group.

This event is part of National News Literacy Week (Jan. 23-27), presented annually by the News Literacy Project and The E.W. Scripps Company.

It will include a presentation by Sofia Williams and Agatha German, co-directors of Teens for Press Freedom, a national, youth-led organization dedicated to promoting freedom of the press and factual literacy among teens. Williams and German will be joined by Erin Olson, NLP’s senior manager of education partnerships, for the Q&A.

This free webinar for educators, presented by the News Literacy Project on edWeb.net, focuses on critical reading skills and features professor and author Jeff Wilhelm.

How can you engage and motivate students to think critically when navigating today’s complex information landscape? How can you help students develop the skills to evaluate the trustworthiness, credibility and reliability of evidence? How can cross-disciplinary connections help your students in “fighting fake news”?

Join the News Literacy Project in a free edWeb webinar for a conversation around these questions with Dr. Jeff Wilhelm, distinguished professor of English education at Boise State University and literacy teaching expert. Wilhelm’s forthcoming book is Fighting Fake News: Teaching Students to Identify and Interrogate Information Pollution.

Wilhelm will be joined by NLP’s own Brittney Smith, senior manager of education partnerships (East), and Pamela Brunskill, senior manager of education design. Shaelynn Farnsworth, NLP’s senior director of education partnership strategy, will moderate.

The webinar will include a discussion of the need for and benefits of critical reading skills, as well as a look at NLP’s Framework for Teaching News Literacy, developed using the Understanding by Design template by Wiggins and McTighe (2005). Participants will learn about a variety of resources and techniques that they can implement immediately in the classroom. All attendees will have the chance to win a copy of Fighting Fake News.

This webinar is part of National News Literacy Week (Jan. 23-27), an annual event presented by the News Literacy Project and The E.W. Scripps Company.

In this free webinar from the News Literacy Project and KQED, you’ll learn how to use editorial cartoons in news and media literacy curriculums.

 

Editorial cartooning, a powerful form of opinion journalism, has a long history in the United States, and draws on a rich visual vocabulary to communicate complex ideas in an accessible way.

You’ll discover how to support students as they analyze and create political cartoons to share their perspective about issues. You’ll also explore topics such as trust and credibility as they relate to opinion journalism.

In this hands-on workshop, you will:

• learn from renowned political cartoonist Lalo Alcaraz.
• explore the News Literacy Project’s Checkology®️ lesson on editorial cartooning.
• hear from educators who have done editorial cartooning assignments with students.
• get started on helping your students create their own cartoons.
• discover how your students can publish their cartoons with KQED’s Political Cartooning Youth Media Challenge Showcase.

This event is part of National News Literacy Week (Jan. 23-27), presented annually by the News Literacy Project and The E.W. Scripps Company.

Join us on Jan. 27 for NewsLitCamp®: Trust and Credibility, held as part of National News Literacy Week.

Friday, Jan. 27, 2023
9 A.M. – 6 P.M. EST

Registration is now open.

Join us for this immersive conference built exclusively for educators, presented by the News Literacy Project in partnership with the NBCUniversal News Group!

According to the Pew Research Center, teens and adults under 30 are now almost as likely to trust information from social media as they are to trust information from national news outlets. In a complex digital landscape where anyone can be an “expert,” the ability to identify signs of credibility is a vital skill. As partisan divides in media trust widen, knowing how to parse through this information is critical to a functioning democracy. How do we decide who to trust and what to believe?

This special NewsLitCamp is a unique, virtual event designed to help educators teach students to evaluate news and information with a skeptical — not cynical — eye.

Sessions will feature top journalists from NBC and elsewhere, including Ali Velshi, Brandy Zadrozny, Tom Llamas, Guad Venegas and Belén Smole.

Topics will cover:

• What it means to be “news literate.”
• Avoiding perceptions of bias when reporting on misinformation.
• How news organizations ensure fair on-air representation. 
• How the news media can repair its trust problem in marginalized communities.

In addition, a feature session at 3 p.m. ET includes the debut of “Harm & Distrust,” the latest lesson in NLP’s Checkology®️ e-learning platform. Journalists Wes Lowery and Natalie Moore, as well as NLP’s Peter Adams and EduColor’s Julia Torres, will discuss why communities of color have misgivings about mainstream news, and the progress and setbacks of today’s journalists and their coverage.

The first session starts at 9 a.m. ET with additional sessions continuing throughout the day. All sessions will be recorded and made available to everyone who registers.

What is NewsLitCamp?

NewsLitCamp is an immersive, free professional learning experience primarily for middle and high school educators. It features topical sessions led by journalists and news literacy experts, designed to develop expertise in news literacy education, share specialized teaching resources and provide a behind-the-scenes view of the news reporting process.

What can I expect?

Educators who join NewsLitCamp: Trust and Credibility will leave the day with new ideas, skills and resources to help students navigate today’s complex and challenging information landscape. They will be equipped to demystify what it means to evaluate news and information for trustworthiness and credibility.

Whether you’re a teacher, a librarian or an education professional looking to build upon your news literacy skills, we’d love for you to join. Register now.

Questions? Email us at [email protected].

New York State educators! Enter your students in our essay contest for a chance to win a gift card worth up to $200.

Deadlines:

Nov. 28-Feb. 13: Early essay submission period

Feb. 14-March 13: Regular essay submission period

March 14-April 16: Extended entry submission period

April 17: Absolute deadline, 9 p.m. EST.

Use this flyer to share contest details with your education community:

New York PitchIt Contest 2023

Student voice is a catalyst for positive change in schools and communities. For this reason, the News Literacy Project is hosting a writing contest to empower New York students to be civically informed and engaged.

The PitchIt! New York student essay contest is an opportunity for students to write about some of the most important topics of our time and explore how they can help combat misinformation or work to protect freedom of the press. Essay finalists receive detailed feedback from a panel of journalists, and the winners receive prizes!

TEACHING AND LEARNING GOALS

• Teachers have an authentic and engaging writing assignment that amplifies student voices and explores issues aligned to district curricula, standards and required topics, such as the First Amendment.
• Students analyze different types of misinformation and show the ability to think critically about what is and is not verifiable information.
• Students apply their news and media literacy skills to solve the misinformation problem.
• Finalists receive real-time feedback from journalists in the field who report on these issues every day.

AWARDS: The below are given to students for each grade band in 6-8 and 9-12.

Grand prize: $200 gift card

First place essay

$150 gift card

Second place essay

$100 gift card

Third place essay

$50 gift card

**New York State finalists will participate in the PitchIt! New York Grand Prize event on Zoom at the end of May 2023, where they will create a presentation on their essay topic (the “pitch”) and receive feedback from working journalists. The Grand Prize winners will be chosen at this time.

ELIGIBILITY

This contest is open to middle and high school students in New York State who participate with the support from a teacher and/or school. Participating teachers may choose to adapt the competition curriculum for individual classes or hold a schoolwide event. Each participating school may submit up to five entries per grade band (6-12).

LEARNING TASK AND CHOOSING THE ESSAY TOPIC

News literacy is the ability to determine the credibility of news and other content. Students will write an essay about a local, national or international event of their choice that would have benefited from news literacy skills being applied to stop misinformation from being spread about it, using one of the prompts listed below.

PROCESS

Step 1. Teacher introduces the writing assignment to their class, the rubric* and the process by which the top essays will advance. News literacy topics are explored with students as they relate to the curriculum. Teachers can explore the free educator resources on NewsLitNation® or the Checkology® virtual classroom on topics like the First Amendment. See resources from the New York Public Library, which includes access to The New York Times, or any other available news sources.

Step 2. Students work with their teacher to select a news article/topic of their choice and to select one of the prompts below to follow in writing the essay. Share a copy of the student essay planning document* as an outline and encourage them to review before submitting a final draft.

Step 3. Teachers select up to five student essays per grade, per school, and submit.

Step 4. NLP’s educator panel selects six essays (three per each grade band, 6-8 and 9-12), to advance to the Grand Prize phase.

Step 5. Panel notifies the teacher at the end of April. The selected students then begin creating a visual presentation of their essay (PowerPoint or Google Slides), to compete in the final phase of the contest.

Step 6: Essay finalists make their presentation (the “pitch”) to a panel of journalists during the PitchIt! New York Grand Prize event on Zoom and receive personalized feedback and a certificate. Panelists choose the Grand Prize winners, who are awarded during the event.

*Click here for the Google Drive folder with PitchIt! educator resources.

PROMPTS

• The First Amendment has five freedoms, and in many ways, they are dependent on one another. Explain how other freedoms of the First Amendment are required to protect the freedom of the press.
• What steps should someone take to fact-check false statements by a well-known figure and what problems might arise as a result?
• People have responsibilities — things that they should do but are not required to by law. Why would providing reliable information be a responsibility?
• Imagine you heard a rumor about a public figure, but you’re not sure if it is true or not. What are the potential consequences if you share it online?

CRITERIA

• Essays must be the original, unpublished work of one student.
• Essays must be 500-1,000 words, clearly addressing one of the prompts.
• Essays must be typed in 12-point, Times New Roman, double-spaced with 1” margins and numbered pages
• All essays and presentations must have a title.
• Students must include at least three credible sources to support their thesis.
• Essays must use MLA formatting, complete with in-text citations and a Works Cited page (not included in the word count). See Purdue Owl MLA Guide.
• Organization: students must include an introduction with a thesis statement, multiple body paragraphs and a conclusion. See Purdue Owl Argumentative Essays.
• Essays must be proofread and should follow the rules for standard English (grammar, punctuation, mechanics) in writing. See Purdue Owl Grammar.
• Plagiarism: any submission that is in part or wholly plagiarized will be disqualified from the PitchIt! competition. See Purdue Owl Plagiarism.
• A cover page MUST be included with the following information: title of essay, student name, grade level, student’s complete mailing address, student’s email address, school’s name, principal’s name, teacher’s name, and best phone number and email address for the teacher.
• Only five essays from each grade may be submitted per school.
• Finalists must be able to virtually participate in the PitchIt! New York Grand Prize event at the end of May (TBD), 2023.

STUDENT ESSAY TIPS

• Essays must have a recognizable beginning (opening or introduction), middle and end (closing or conclusion).
• Hook the reader with a strong opener. Readers will use the first few sentences to decide whether they will read the whole essay.
• Keep your paragraphs short. Popular essays tend to average three sentences per paragraph.
• Submit thoroughly thought-out, tightly focused essays. Originality is also important.
• In the conclusion, include a call to action. Encourage readers to take some positive steps. For instance, if you’ve given them a list of tips, prompt them to put some of the tips into practice.

While not required, we recommend schools conduct their own internal essay contest to establish the top essays for submission. Schools/teachers should submit their top five winning essays per grade with required cover letter via email to: Alesha Smith, NLP’s New York news literacy ambassador, at [email protected]

FAQs:

Is there a submission fee? No fees! Better yet, there is no catch. All our educator resources are free, including Checkology!

What does “teacher support” mean? Successful writers are made through direct instruction. Teachers are encouraged to support students in both content and the writing process. The teacher’s name and contact information must also be indicated in the cover letter as the primary point of contact regarding the entry.

How are the essays judged? During the first phase of the contest, essays are reviewed by news literacy ambassadors for readability, accuracy and originality, using the PitchIt! Rubric. Successful essays are about a local, national or international story that would have benefited from news literacy skills being applied to stop the spread of misinformation. For example, consider the impact a story had, and whether false claims about it could be debunked using reputable and verifiable sources of information.

How is the “pitch” judged?

The first-, second- and third-place essay winners advance to the Grand Prize event phase of the contest. To prepare, they must create a visual presentation based on their essay theme (PowerPoint or Google Slides). They will each have three minutes to “pitch” their essay idea to the journalists and will receive real-time feedback from the panel. Students’ presentations will be judged for creativity, delivery, impact and accuracy during the PitchIt! New York Grand Prize event at the end of May 2023.

I am not part of the New York City Department of Education. Can I still participate? Absolutely! The PitchIt! contest is open to all students in the State of New York.

What document formats are accepted? The following formats are accepted: Microsoft Word, PDF, Google doc.

How are the finalists announced? An email notification will be sent to the teacher by late April.

I have more questions! Do you have contacts? Questions about NLP resources can be directed to Kim Bowman, senior associate of user success, [email protected], or you can submit a request via the NLP Education Help Center. Questions about rules can be directed to Miriam Romais, director of NewsLitNation, at [email protected], and questions about entries can be directed to our New York news literacy ambassador, Alesha Smith, [email protected].

Use this flyer to share contest details with your education community:

New York PitchIt Contest 2023

Educators! Give your students the opportunity to write about some of the most important topics of our time and explore how they can help combat misinformation and work to protect the freedom of the press.

Deadlines:

Nov. 28-Feb. 13: Early essay submission period

Feb. 14-March 13: Regular essay submission period

March 14-April 16: Extended entry submission period

April 17: Absolute deadline

Student voice is a catalyst for positive change in schools and communities. For this reason, the Colorado Language Arts Society and The Colorado Sun, in partnership with the News Literacy Project, are hosting a writing contest to empower Colorado students to be civically informed and engaged.

TEACHING GOALS

• Teachers have an authentic and engaging writing assignment that amplifies student voices and explores issues aligned to district curricula, standards and required topics, such as the First Amendment.
• Students analyze different types of misinformation and show the ability to think critically about what is and is not verifiable information.
• Students apply their news and media literacy skills to solve the misinformation problem.
• This project challenges students to develop their 21^st century civics and media literacy skills as outlined in the Colorado Department of Education’s Academic Standards resource (see our Google Drive documents for the Colorado English and Social Studies academic contexts and connections).

AWARDS

The PitchIt! Colorado State Finals Event will be a hybrid (in person and Zoom) format. Students will present live for the chance at claiming the title PitchIt! Colorado State News Literacy Champion. An awards ceremony will be held and first-, second- and third-place trophies will be provided for both middle school and high school competitors, along with a school banner for display.

OVERVIEW

Participating teachers may choose to adapt the competition curriculum for individual classes or hold a schoolwide event. Each participating school may submit up to five entries per grade band.

Educators are provided with free resources, planning and organizational support for instructional purposes in the PitchIt! Student Essay Contest folder on NLP’s Google Drive.

For this project, middle and high school students will write a 500- to 1,000-word essay in response to one of the news literacy writing prompts. Submitted essays will be judged by NLP ambassadors. Selected first- through third-place essay contest finalists (three from middle school and three from high school) will earn the opportunity to compete at the PitchIt! Colorado State Finals Event, where they will receive real-time feedback from journalists.

At state finals, each student will “pitch” their essay (via their slide presentation) to a select panel of professional journalists and state legislators. The winner of the PitchIt! Colorado State Finals will earn the title of PitchIt! Colorado State Champion.

ELIGIBILITY

This contest is open to middle and high school students in Colorado who participate with the support from a teacher and/or school. Participating teachers may choose to adapt the competition curriculum for individual classes or hold a schoolwide event. Each participating school may submit up to five entries per grade band (6-12).

Winners of the essay component must be able to attend the PitchIt! Colorado State Finals event either in person or virtually. The event will take place in the Denver Metro area in May of 2023 (location, date and time TBD).

LEARNING TASK AND CHOOSING THE ESSAY TOPIC

News literacy is the ability to determine the credibility of news and other content to identify different types of information and to use the standards of fact-based journalism to determine what to trust, share and act on. Being news literate also means recognizing the critical role of the First Amendment and a free press in a democracy and interacting with news and information in ways that promote engaged participation in civic life.

Objective

Students will be able to develop critical thinking and news literacy skills to find reliable information to make decisions, take action and responsibly share news through social media.

Task

Students compose an essay in response to one of the news literacy writing prompts below, discussing how it relates to a local, national or international news article of their choice. They should form a thesis based on their chosen prompt and aim to convince their audience that the thesis is accurate and valid.

Audience

Educators, professional journalists, and state legislators.

Summative Assessment

Students will be evaluated using the PitchIt! Rubric found among the PitchIt! Student Essay Contest documents in Google Drive. Teachers should provide students with a written copy of the rubric and relevant supporting materials.

PROCESS

Step 1. Teacher introduces the writing assignment to their class, the rubric* and the process by which the top essays will advance. News literacy topics are explored with students as they relate to the curriculum. Teachers can explore the free educator resources on NewsLitNation® or the Checkology® virtual classroom on topics like the First Amendment.

Step 2. Students work with their teacher to select a news article/topic of their choice and to select one of the prompts below to follow in writing the essay. Encourage students to use the essay planning document* as an outline before submitting a final draft.

Step 3. Teachers select up to five student essay finalists per grade, per school, and submit them to [email protected].

Step 4. NLP’s educator panel selects six essays (three from middle school and three from high school) to advance to the Colorado State Finals.

Step 5: Panel notifies the teacher at the end of April. The selected students then begin creating a visual presentation of their essay (PowerPoint or Google Slides), to compete in the final phase of the contest.

Step 6: Essay finalists make their presentation (the “pitch”) to a panel of journalists and state legislators during the PitchIt! Colorado State Finals Event. Panelists choose the first-, second- and third-place state champion titles for middle school competitors and high school competitors, who will be awarded during the event.

*Click here for the Google Drive folder with PitchIt! educator resources.

PROMPTS

Prompt #1: Explain how the First Amendment protects freedom of the press. Use a recent local, national or international news story to illustrate the importance of freedom of the press and how other freedoms are required to protect it.

Prompt #2: What steps should someone take to fact-check statements by a public figure? Consider a recent event in the news to analyze the ways in which the press can hold public figures accountable for what they say and share publicly.

Prompt #3: People have civic responsibilities, things they should do but are not required by law. Explain which news literacy skills are essential to responsible civic participation by example of a recent event in the news.

Prompt #4: Social media platforms are under increased public pressure to fact-check online content generated and shared by users. Which news literacy standards should social media platforms adopt to evaluate fact from fiction? Support your answer with real-world examples in the media.

Prompt #5: What is the role of the media in our society, and how can we become responsible consumers and producers of news and information in the digital age? Support your answer with real-world examples in the news.

Prompt #6: How do confirmation bias, stereotyping and other cognitive biases impact how we interpret events, news and information? What are potential consequences of not verifying the accuracy of such information? Analyze a current news event with these multiple issues in mind for your essay.

CRITERIA

• Essays must be the original, unpublished work of one student.
• Essays must be 500-1,000 words, clearly addressing one of the prompts.
• Essays must be typed in 12-point, Times New Roman, double-spaced with 1” margins and numbered pages
• All essays must have a title.
• Students must include at least three credible sources to support their thesis.
• Essays must use MLA formatting, complete with in-text citations and a Works Cited page (not included in the word count). See Purdue Owl MLA Guide.
• Organization: students must include an introduction with a thesis statement, multiple body paragraphs and a conclusion. See Purdue Owl Argumentative Essays.
• Essays must be proofread and should follow the rules for standard English (grammar, punctuation, mechanics) in writing. See Purdue Owl Grammar.
• Plagiarism: any submission that is in part or wholly plagiarized will be disqualified from the PitchIt! competition. See Purdue Owl Plagiarism.
• A cover page MUST be included with the following information: title of essay, student name, grade level, student’s complete mailing address, student’s email address, school’s name, principal’s name, teacher’s name, and best phone number and email address for the teacher.
• Only five essays from each grade may be submitted per school.

Contest Deadline: April 17, 2023, 11:59 p.m. MT.

Schools/teachers should submit their top five winning essays per grade band with cover letter via email to the Colorado News Literacy Ambassador: [email protected]

FAQ:

Is there a submission fee? No fees! Better yet, there is no catch. All our educator resources are free, including Checkology!

What does “teacher support” mean? Successful writers are made through direct instruction. Teachers are encouraged to support students in both content and the writing process. The teacher’s name and contact information must also be indicated in the cover letter as the primary point of contact regarding the entry.

How are the essays judged? Essays will be reviewed by news literacy ambassadors using the PitchIt! rubric. Successful essays are about a local, national or international story that would have benefited from news literacy skills being applied to stop the spread of misinformation. For example, consider the impact a story had, and whether false claims about it could be debunked using reputable and verifiable sources of information.

How is the “pitch” judged?

The first-, second- and third-place essay winners advance to the PitchIt! Colorado State Finals phase of the contest. To prepare, they must create a visual presentation based on their essay theme (PowerPoint or Google Slides). During the event they will each have three minutes to “pitch” their essay idea to a panel of journalists and state legislators, and will receive real-time feedback from the panel. Student presentations will be judged for creativity, delivery, impact and accuracy during the event at the end of May 2023.

Who can participate? The PitchIt! contest is open to all Colorado students in middle and high school.

What document formats are accepted? Please submit the essay as a Google doc or a Word document.

How are the finalists announced? Email notification will be sent to the teacher by the end of April.

I live too far from Denver to attend the State Finals event in person. May I still participate? Yes! We plan to offer a way to participate via Zoom, so you can still attend and your student can still present their pitch to our panel of journalists.

I have more questions! Do you have contacts? Questions about NLP resources can be directed to Kim Bowman, senior associate of user success, [email protected]. Questions about rules can be directed to Miriam Romais, director of NewsLitNation, [email protected], and questions about entries can be directed to our Colorado news literacy ambassador, Amanda Escheman, at [email protected].

Calling all educators in the Philadelphia area and those attending the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) conference! Please join us on Friday, Dec. 2 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. ET for NewsLitCamp® Philadelphia, a day of immersive, in-person professional learning built exclusively for educators and focusing on key news literacy concepts. The event will be held at WHYY’s Philadelphia newsroom.

During this NewsLitCamp, co-hosted by WHYY and The Philadelphia Inquirer, you can expect to learn directly from journalists who will share their insider expertise on how they do their work and the behind-the-scenes workings of a modern newsroom.

As you may know, NewsLitCamp is a unique opportunity for teachers, librarians and other educators across all subjects to connect directly with journalists and hone their ability to teach students how to sort fact from fiction.

Listen to what educators and journalists who have participated in NewsLitCamp have to say in this engaging and brief video.

All Philadelphia-area educators, including librarians and library media specialists, as well as educators in town for the NCSS conference, are encouraged to register for this special event.

We hope you can join us for this full day of news literacy programming!

This event is generously sponsored by the Knight Foundation.

Questions? Please reach out at [email protected].

Trying to discuss current events with someone who has been manipulated by misinformation, propaganda, or even conspiracy theories can be maddening, deeply emotional, and seemingly futile. Before you react angrily or throw your hands up in frustration, take a step back.

Join us at 5 p.m. ET Thursday, Nov. 17 – one week before Thanksgiving – for a discussion about how to have a productive, civil conversation and retain your relationships. The event is free and open to everyone.

In this webinar, hosted by the News Literacy Project in partnership with the National Institute for Civil Discourse and Senior Planet from AARP, we’ll talk about how and why misinformation manipulates emotions and exploits biases to draw people deeper into false belief. Presenters from NLP and NICD will provide strategies for having a civil conversation about current events and resources to help you debunk these falsehoods in a productive way.

Register now.

Florida educators! Enter your students in our essay contest for a chance for both you and a student to win a gift card worth up to $100.

Deadlines

• November 1 – February 13: Early Essay Submission Period
• February 14 – March 13: Regular Essay Submission Period
• March 14 – April 16: Extended Entry Submission Period
• April 24: Absolute Deadline

Use this flyer to share contest details with your education community:

Florida PitchIt Contest 2023

About

Student voice is a catalyst for positive change in schools and communities. For this reason, Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS), in partnership with the News Literacy Project, is hosting a writing contest to empower Florida students to be civically informed and engaged.

The PitchIt! Florida student essay contest is an opportunity for students to write about some of the most important topics of our time and explore how they can help combat misinformation or work to protect freedom of the press. Essay finalists receive detailed feedback from a panel of journalists, and the winners (student and teacher) receive prizes!

 

Teaching and learning goals

Teachers have an authentic and engaging writing assignment that amplifies student voices and explores issues aligned to district curricula, standards and required topics, such as the First Amendment.

Students analyze different types of misinformation and show the ability to think critically about what is and is not verifiable information.

Students apply their news and media literacy skills to solve the misinformation problem.

Finalists receive real-time feedback from journalists in the field who report on these issues every day.

“Our learning goals for this contest include helping students analyze different types of misinformation and showcasing their ability to think critically about what is and is not verifiable information. When we fail to teach news literacy, we actively disempower students from being engaged members of their communities. That’s why we hope students and teachers from across the district will enter and participate.”

— Monica Valdes, social studies and film teacher, M-DCPS.

 

Awards

The below are given for each grade band in 6-8 and 9-12.

Grand prize

$100 gift cards (for teacher and student winner)

First place

$75 gift card (teacher and student)

Second place

$50 gift card (teacher and student)

Third place

$25 gift card (teacher and student)

**Finalists will participate in the PitchIt! Grand Prize event on Zoom (date TBA), where they will share their essays and receive feedback from working journalists. The winners will be chosen at this time.

 

Eligibility

This contest is open to middle and high school students located in Florida who participate with support from a teacher. Schools are encouraged to conduct their own internal essay competition to coordinate, and teachers submit their top three essays per grade band (6-8 and 9-12).

 

Learning task and choosing the essay topic

News literacy is the ability to determine the credibility of news and other content. Students will write an essay about a local, national or international event or issue that would have benefited from news literacy skills being applied to stop the spread of misinformation about the event. They will answer one of the prompts below.

 

Process

• Step 1. Teacher introduces the writing assignment to students and the process by which the top essays will advance. News literacy topics are explored with students as they relate to the curriculum. Teachers can explore the free educator resources on NewsLitNation or the Checkology® virtual classroom on topics like the First Amendment. More resources are at the M-DCPS library, which includes access to The New York Times, articles on ProQuest or any other available sources.
• Step 2. Students work with their teacher to select a news article/topic, picking one of the prompts below to follow in writing the essay.
• Step 3. Teachers encourage students to review the article formatting requirements before submitting their essays.
• Step 4. Teachers select up to five student essays per grade, per school, and submit.
• Step 5. An NLP ambassador selects six essays per grade band (6-8 and 9-12) to advance to the finalist stage.
• Step 6. All finalists pitch their stories to a panel of journalists during the PitchIt! Grand Prize event on Zoom and receive personalized feedback and a certificate. Panelists choose the Grand Prize winners, who receive prizes awarded during the event.

While not required, we recommend schools conduct their own internal essay contest to establish the top essays for submission. Schools/teachers should submit up to five winning essays per grade with cover letter via email to: Monica Valdes, Florida news literacy ambassador, [email protected]

 

Prompts

• The First Amendment has five freedoms, and in many ways they are dependent on one another. Explain how other freedoms of the First Amendment are required to protect the freedom of the press.
• What steps should someone take to fact-check false statements by a well-known figure and what problems might arise as a result?
• People have responsibilities – things that they should do but are not required to by law. Why would providing reliable information be a responsibility?
• Imagine you heard a rumor about a public figure, but you’re not sure if it is true or not. What are the potential consequences if you share it online?

 

Criteria

• Essays must be the original, unpublished work of one student.
• Essays must be 500-1,000 words, clearly addressing one of the prompts.
• All essays must have a title.
• Proper citation of sources is required.
• Only three essays from each grade may be submitted per school.
• Essays must be proofread and should follow the rules for standard English (grammar, punctuation, mechanics) in writing.
• A cover page MUST be included with the following information: student name, student ID, grade level, student’s complete address, best phone number for student, school’s name, principal’s name, teacher’s name, best phone number and email address for teacher and title of essay.
• Entries must be submitted via email to Monica Valdes, Florida news literacy ambassador, [email protected].
• Finalists must be able to virtually participate in the PitchIt! Grand Prize event (date TBA).

Student tips

• Essays must have a recognizable beginning (opening or introduction), middle and end (closing or conclusion).
• Hook the reader with a strong opener. Readers will use the first few sentences to decide whether they will read the whole essay.
• Keep your paragraphs short. Popular essays tend to average three sentences per paragraph.
• Submit thoroughly thought-out, tightly focused essays. Originality is also important.
• In the conclusion, include a call to action. Encourage readers to take some positive steps. For instance, if you’ve given them a list of tips, prompt them to put some of the tips into practice.
• Essays should be typed in 12-point, easily readable font (such as Times New Roman), double-spaced with 1” margins and numbered pages.

FAQs:

Is there a submission fee? No fees! Better yet, there is no catch. All our educator resources are free, including Checkology!

What does “teacher support” mean?
Successful writers are made through direct instruction. Teachers are encouraged to support students in both content selection and the writing process. The teacher’s name and contact information must be indicated in the cover letter as the primary point of contact regarding the entry.

How are the essays judged?
Essays will be reviewed by news literacy ambassadors for readability and creativity. Finalist essays will be judged by a panel of journalists for accuracy, readability and creativity, during the PitchIt! Grand Prize event (date TBA). Successful essays are about a local, national or international story that would have benefited from news literacy skills being applied to stop the spread of misinformation. For example, consider the impact a story had, and whether false claims about it could be debunked using reputable and verifiable sources of information.

I am not part of M-DCPS. Can I still participate?
Absolutely! The PitchIt! contest is open to all students in the State of Florida.

What document formats are accepted?
The following formats are accepted: Microsoft Word, PDF, Google doc.

How are the finalists announced?
An email notification will be sent to the teacher by late April.

I have more questions! Do you have contacts?
Questions about NLP resources can be directed to Kim Bowman, senior associate of user success, [email protected], or you can submit a request via the NLP Education Help Center. Questions about rules can be directed to Miriam Romais, director of NewsLitNation, at [email protected], and questions about entries can be directed to Florida News Literacy Ambassador Monica Valdes at [email protected].

 

Use this flyer to share contest details with your education community:

Florida PitchIt Contest 2023

As we head toward Election Day – Tuesday, Nov. 8 – many of us are hearing messages like, “Get informed before you vote.” But how can we be sure we’re getting information from credible sources? How do we know if we’re being informed or misled?

The News Literacy Project is hosting a series of three webinars – free and open to everyone – that will teach you how to find reliable information about the election, spot misinformation, and have productive conversations with people who have fallen for falsehoods.

Session 1: Are you being informed or influenced?
5 p.m. ET Tuesday, Oct. 18

Our first session will cover the types of information sources we’re likely to encounter during election season. We’ll learn how to evaluate the purpose of the content these sources share, identify common types and forms of bias, and explore prioritizing sources that inform us by sharing information in a way that is fair and accurate.

Register here.

Session 2: How to spot election misinformation
5 p.m. ET Tuesday, Oct. 25

Our second session is presented in partnership with the League of Women Voters. We will learn how to spot election misinformation and understand the motivations behind why it spreads. We’ll move beyond the unhelpful term “fake news” and more precisely identify the common types of misleading, inaccurate and false information that we are likely to encounter in the runup to the elections. We’ll also learn fact-checking basics to feel more confident that we are sharing and acting on accurate, credible information.

Register here.

Session 3: How to debunk misinformation and talk to people who believe it
5 p.m. ET Tuesday, Nov. 1

Our third session, also presented in partnership with the League of Women Voters, will empower us to stop the spread of misinformation. We will learn effective debunking strategies and how to talk to someone whose beliefs are fueled by misinformation. The session will focus on how to have these conversations in a productive, nonconfrontational way that will hopefully yield positive outcomes.

Register here.

Even if you can’t join us live, register to get access to recordings of the webinars. And please share this information with your family and friends to help us spread the word!

Thursday, October 20, 2022
5-6 p.m. ET/2-3 p.m. PT

On a regular basis – and especially around each election season – we’re overwhelmed with organizations, groups, influencers and others bombarding us with information. Much of that information is designed to influence or even manipulate, rather than inform us. How can you help your students cut through all the noise and prioritize information from credible sources?

In this edWeb webinar, join News Literacy Project experts and news literacy educators to learn how you can strengthen your students’ media and news literacy skills and equip them for active, responsible civic life. Learn about best practices for teaching about bias and the primary purpose of various sources, and discover how you can help students identify news and information that is presented in a fair and accurate way.

Register here for this free edWeb webinar.

The session will include presentations by Alexa Volland, NLP’s senior manager of educator professional learning, and news literacy ambassadors Jill Hofmockel and Molly June Roquet. Hofmockel is the teacher-librarian at West High School in Iowa City, Iowa. Roquet is the education librarian at Saint Mary’s College of California. Shaelynn Farnsworth, NLP’s senior director of education partnership strategy, will moderate.

Contact

Please email any questions to Shaelynn Farnsworth.

Wednesday, Sept. 28
7-8 p.m. ET/4-5 p.m. PT

Join us for a free educator webinar to explore a trio of brand-new STEM-aligned Checkology® lessons! Topics covered in the new lessons include climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccines, medical misinformation, pseudoscience and conspiratorial thinking. The lessons support the development of science and engineering practices, such as analyzing and interpreting data, engaging in arguments for evidence and using mathematics and computational thinking.

Register here for this free webinar.

Checkology is a FREE browser-based e-learning platform with nearly 20 classroom-ready, expert-hosted lessons, as well as dozens of supplementary activities, exercises and challenges.

The new trio of STEM-aligned Checkology lessons includes:

• “Evaluating Science-Based Claims,” which explores how to recognize science-based claims and evaluate their credibility. Students also consider why people deny science and explore science journalism.
• “Be Health Informed,” which explores how to make sense of the health and wellness information vying for our attention. Students also discover how to avoid being misled.
• “Making Sense of Data,” which examines how we create, interact with, and are influenced by data in all aspects of our lives. Students also learn how to evaluate the accuracy of data-based claims and visualizations.

During the webinar, NLP staff and subject-matter experts will provide an overview of the lessons. They will share teaching tips and best practices for incorporating the lessons and related activities into your curriculum. Don’t miss this opportunity to get a jump on your STEM-aligned media and news literacy plans this fall!

Contact

Please email any questions to Shaelynn Farnsworth.

Editorial cartooning is a powerful form of opinion journalism with a long history of effecting change and holding powerful individuals accountable. While the craft has evolved — even shaping contemporary forms of visual expression, such as memes — many key characteristics and functions remain the same. Hear from leading editorial cartoonists about how they approach their work, where they see their field headed and how the unique characteristics of editorial cartoons make for rich and rewarding news literacy explorations in a range of subjects, from history to social studies to art.

This edWeb webinar, sponsored by the News Literacy Project, features a panel conversation with editorial cartoonists Lalo Alcaraz and Signe Wilkinson, who are both included in “Power in Art: The Watchdog Role of Editorial Cartoonists,” an innovative new lesson on NLP’s virtual classroom, Checkology®️. The lesson, which was made possible with support from The Herb Block Foundation and the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists, examines the important role that editorial cartoonists have played across time and around the world. The conversation will be moderated by NLP staff experts Peter Adams and Darragh Worland.

Register here for this free presentation on edWeb.

Hear from editorial cartoonists Lalo Alcaraz and Signe Wilkinson; and NLP staffers Peter Adams, senior vice president of research and design, and Darragh Worland, senior vice president of creative strategy.

This edWeb webinar will be of interest to K-12 teachers, librarians, school and district leaders and education technology leaders. There will be time for questions at the end of the presentation.

Contact

Please email any questions to Shaelynn Farnsworth.

Join the News Literacy Project for an educator webinar introducing you to popular features and brand-new content on Checkology, a free, browser-based virtual classroom designed for grades 6-12.

Whether you’re returning to Checkology or new to the platform, this free webinar will give you everything you need to know to dive into teaching news and media literacy skills. Learn how to teach about social media, misinformation, data literacy and more this year!

NLP experts will:

• Spotlight brand-new features and content, including just-added lessons on urgently needed news literacy topics, such as “Making Sense of Data.”
• Discuss the educator registration process and explain how you can quickly build courses and assign lessons.
• Share ideas for incorporating news literacy skills into your curriculum this school year.

All attendees will have a chance to win an NLP back-to-school educator care pack!

Register today – select the date and time that work best for your schedule. The recording will be shared with all registrants.

• Thursday, Aug. 11, 2022
  10 a.m. ET

• Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2022 
  3 p.m. ET

• Monday, Aug. 22, 2022
  7 p.m. ET

Contact:

Please email any questions to Shaelynn Farnsworth.

Educator award named for NLP founder and CEO Alan C. Miller

This week we celebrate our amazing 2022 News Literacy Change-Makers! Please join us in recognizing the outstanding achievements of our educator, journalist and student of the year.

These honorees have distinguished themselves in their commitment to news literacy. And this year the awards have a deeper meaning for NLP, as the organization’s board has named the Educator of the Year Award in honor of NLP founder and CEO Alan C. Miller. NLP’s other awards are named for its late board members, the distinguished journalists John S. Carroll and Gwen Ifill.

“I am greatly honored and deeply grateful to be recognized in this way,” Miller said. “I appreciate this connection to the outstanding educators that we honor each year and find it particularly meaningful to have my name included alongside John and Gwen, for whom I had such admiration and affection.”

Please join us as we celebrate these News Literacy Change-Makers in a live, virtual event Thursday, June 9, at 7 p.m. ET. Register here.

And be sure to visit our dedicated landing page to see videos of the winners, read their stories and learn about past winners.

Our 2022 Honorees

Alan C. Miller Educator of the Year

Jamie Gregory, a librarian and journalism teacher at Christ Church Episcopal School in Greenville, South Carolina, is the news literacy subject matter expert for her school. While news literacy lessons are essential to her journalism classes, Gregory also works with colleagues from all disciplines to help them integrate the subject into their lessons in relevant and meaningful ways. “Being named the educator of the year was a big surprise. I see myself as a regular teacher who is just trying to meet the needs of her students. I’m so humbled and grateful for the honor.”

John S. Carroll Journalist of the Year

Pierre Thomas, chief Justice correspondent for ABC News, has covered some of the biggest stories of our time, and has been an active participant in NLP’s work from its founding. He was one of NLP’s first volunteer journalism fellows and participated in the in-person classroom program. He also has been featured at various NLP events and serves as a charter member of NLP’s National Leadership Council. “To be named the News Literacy Project’s John S. Carroll Journalist of the Year means the world to me. I’m humbled by it. The organization, I believe, is helping to make journalism and our democracy healthier.”

Gwen Ifill Student of the Year

Alysa Baltimore, a junior at Station Camp High School in Gallatin, Tennessee, is a serious and thoughtful student who is deeply concerned about issues of equality and racial justice, said her AP English teacher Stephanie Jones, who nominated her for the award. “I feel like this [winning the award] has helped me grow, and it has solidified my idea for what I want to be in the future,” Baltimore said.

Congratulations to our honorees!

Calling all Detroit Public Schools educators! Please join us on Thursday, June 23 from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. ET for NewsLitCamp® Detroit part 2, a virtual half-day of professional learning focusing on key news literacy concepts built exclusively for educators within the Detroit Public Schools Community District and surrounding areas.

This is the second installment of our NewsLitCamp Detroit event series for the 2021-2022 school year.

Registration is limited to Detroit Public School educators only. To register, click here.

Issues accessing this registration page? Email us at [email protected].

To view the event schedule, click here. 

During this NewsLitCamp, you can expect to hear firsthand from journalists from the Detroit Free Press and the Michigan Advance, who will share their insider expertise on the behind-the-scenes workings of a modern newsroom.

As you may know, NewsLitCamp is a unique opportunity for teachers, librarians, and other educators across all subjects to connect directly with journalists and hone their ability to teach students how to sort fact from fiction.

Listen to what educators and journalists who have participated in NewsLitCamp have to say in this engaging and brief video.

All Detroit Public School educators, including librarians and library media specialists, are encouraged to register for this special event, regardless of subject area or grade level.

We hope you can join us for this interactive half-day of news literacy programming!

This event is generously sponsored by the Knight Foundation.

Questions? Please reach out at [email protected].

Calling all educators in Berks County, Pennsylvania!

We’re excited to announce NewsLitCamp® Berks County, hosted in partnership with the Berks County Intermediate Unit’s Core Connections Conference 2022!

Join us on June 15 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. ET for an immersive (and FREE!) professional development experience focusing on essential news literacy concepts.

This event is generously sponsored by the Google News Initiative.

Register today

NewsLitCamp is an immersive, free professional learning experience primarily for middle and high school educators. It features topical sessions (selected with input from participants) led by journalists and news literacy experts, designed to develop expertise in news literacy education, share specialized teaching resources and provide a behind-the-scenes view of the news reporting process.

You’ll leave NewsLitCamp with new ideas, skills and resources to help your students navigate today’s complex and challenging information landscape and demystify what distinguishes quality journalism from rumors, hoaxes and other types of misinformation.

If you are a middle or high school teacher, librarian, or other educator, or you know one who might be interested, please register and tell your colleagues about NewsLitCamp. 

Educators who attend Core Connections conference are eligible to earn up to 10 Act 48 credits.

See you on June 15!

Southwestern Pennsylvania educators – we can’t wait to host you for NewsLitCamp® Pittsburgh!

The News Literacy Project is pleased to announce our very first hybrid-style NewsLitCamp on Monday, June 6 at 8 a.m. ET, in partnership with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, and sponsored by The Grable Foundation.

Register today

If you are local to Pittsburgh, join us in-person at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette headquarters for an engaging (and FREE!) day of professional learning. Here, you’ll learn from Post-Gazette journalists, alongside experts from The News Literacy Project, about critical news literacy concepts you can take back to the classroom.

If you are unable to join in-person, no problem! Our virtual attendance option makes it easy to participate with other educators in real-time, via Zoom.

The day’s programming will culminate with a very special NewsLit Nation happy hour event, hosted at Southern Tier Brewery in the heart of Pittsburgh.

If you are a middle or high school teacher, librarian, or other educator, or you know one who might be interested, please register and tell your colleagues about NewsLitCamp.

Educators are eligible to receive Act 48 credits by attending this event. Register today!

Please join us on Wednesday, May 25, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. ET for NewsLitCamp® Great Lakes, in partnership with the Star Tribune and the Akron Beacon Journal, and sponsored by the Knight Foundation.

Register here: https://newslitcampgreatlakes.sched.com/

This is a unique, virtual (and FREE!) experience for educators across the Great Lakes region. Educators in Minnesota, Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Iowa are encouraged to attend.

NewsLitCamp is an immersive, free professional learning experience primarily for middle and high school educators. It features topical sessions (selected with input from participants) led by journalists and news literacy experts, designed to develop expertise in news literacy education, share specialized teaching resources and provide a behind-the-scenes view of the news reporting process.

You’ll leave NewsLitCamp with new ideas, skills and resources to help your students navigate today’s complex and challenging information landscape and demystify what distinguishes quality journalism from rumors, hoaxes and other types of misinformation.

If you are a middle or high school teacher, librarian, or other educator, or you know one who might be interested, please register and tell your colleagues about NewsLitCamp.

Webinar: From Memes to Conspiracy Theories: Teaching “Misinfo 101” on Checkology
Wednesday, April 27, 2022
4:30 p.m. EDT

Join the News Literacy Project for a free educator webinar focused on preparing students to fight back against misinformation! Learn how to use the “Misinfo 101” course on the Checkology® virtual classroom.

“Misinfo 101” includes two foundational lessons and four supplemental activities designed to help students develop a deeper understanding of misinformation, including conspiratorial thinking. The course will introduce techniques for combating mis- and disinformation, such as evaluating evidence online, digital verification skills and fact-checking.

Register now (it’s free!)

Learn from Peter Adams, NLP’s senior vice president of education, about today’s misinformation landscape and find out how you can help your students develop a deeper understanding of misinformation. Then, hear from NewsLit Nation ambassador Cathy Collins, a technology teacher and library media and technology specialist at Sharon Middle School in Sharon, Massachusetts, and NLP staff experts about how to assign, teach and customize the “Misinfo 101” course. There will also be time for Q&As about “Misinfo 101” and Checkology.

Contact

Please email any questions to Shaelynn Farnsworth ([email protected]).

Join us for a first look at “Power in Art: The Watchdog Role of Editorial Cartoonists,” a brand-new lesson available through the News Literacy Project’s Checkology® virtual classroom.

Led by NLP staff and NewsLit Nation ambassadors, this webinar will provide an overview of “Power in Art” and show you how to use the lesson with your students across a range of subjects.

Adriana Chavira, a NewsLit Nation ambassador from Los Angeles and a journalism and photography teacher at Daniel Pearl Magnet School in Lake Balboa, Calif., will share tips on incorporating “Power in Art” into a journalism curriculum. Molly June Roquet, a NewsLit Nation ambassador from Oakland, Calif., and education librarian at Saint Mary’s College of California, will discuss how librarians and media specialists can utilize the lesson in their work with both teachers and students. Jordan Maze, NLP’s senior manager of educator network operations, will highlight how “Power in Art” can be used in social studies classes. Shaelynn Farnsworth, NLP’s director of educator network expansion, will moderate the discussion and a Q&A session at the conclusion of the event.

Register now (it’s free!)

“Power in Art” is an in-depth exploration of the history and impact of editorial cartoonists. Hosted by Lalo Alcaraz, an award-winning editorial cartoonist, the lesson examines how editorial cartoons have held those in power accountable, as well as other characteristics and functions of this important form of opinion journalism. (To access and assign “Power in Art” to students, log in to Checkology, or register for a free account at get.checkology.org.)

Contact

Please email any questions to Shaelynn Farnsworth.

Join us for an exclusive NewsLit Nation event focused on the award-winning documentary Storm Lake!

“Local News: Teaching with Storm Lake” is a free virtual Q&A with co-director Jerry Risius and a panel featuring Art Cullen, the Pulitzer Prize–winning Storm Lake Times editor. Additional speakers will include Jill Hofmockel, a NewsLit Nation ambassador and a teacher-librarian at West High School in Iowa City, Iowa, and Pamela Brunskill, the News Literacy Project’s senior manager of education and content. Miriam Romais, NLP’s senior manager of educator engagement, will moderate.

All attendees will receive limited-time access to Storm Lake for classroom viewing. Attendees will also receive a first look at an educational viewing guide for the film developed by NLP.

Register now (it’s free!)

Before registering, please ensure that you are a NewsLit Nation member. (Not yet a member? No worries – it’s free! Visit https://newslit.org/newslit-nation/ to register.)

About Storm Lake

Storm Lake provides an opportunity to teach students about the power of independent journalism and help them understand the crisis local journalism currently faces. Focusing on a family-run newspaper in rural Iowa, the documentary explores what it takes to keep independent local journalism alive, as well as its power to unite and inform diverse communities.

Contact

Please email any questions to Shaelynn Farnsworth.

Calling all Miami-area educators!

Join us on Friday, April 15 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. ET for NewsLitCamp® Miami, in partnership with Miami-Dade Public Schools and sponsored by The Knight Foundation.

As you may know, NewsLitCamp is a unique opportunity for middle and high school teachers, librarians and other educators across all subjects to connect directly with journalists and hone their ability to teach students how to sort fact from fiction. (And by the way, it’s FREE!)

You’ll leave NewsLitCamp with new ideas, skills and resources to help your students navigate today’s complex and challenging information landscape and demystify what distinguishes quality journalism from rumors, hoaxes and other types of misinformation.

If you are an educator based in the Miami, Florida area, or you know of one who might be interested, we’d love for you to join us. Register today.

Illinois educators, this one’s for you!

Join us on Friday, March 18, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. CT for NewsLitCamp® Illinois, in partnership with the Chicago Sun-Times and sponsored by The Robert F. McCormick Foundation.

As you may know, NewsLitCamp is a unique opportunity for middle and high school teachers, librarians and other educators across all subjects to connect directly with journalists and hone their ability to teach students how to sort fact from fiction. (And by the way, it’s FREE!)

You’ll leave NewsLitCamp with new ideas, skills and resources to help your students navigate today’s complex and challenging information landscape and demystify what distinguishes quality journalism from rumors, hoaxes and other types of misinformation.

If you are an educator based in Illinois, or you know of one who might be interested, we’d love for you to join us. Register today.

New York City educators! Enter your students in our essay contest for a chance to win a gift card worth up to $200. Deadline: May 13, 2022.

Student voice is a catalyst for positive change in schools and communities. For this reason, New York City Department of Education, in partnership with the News Literacy Project, is hosting a writing contest to empower students to be civically informed and engaged.

The PitchIt! NYC student essay contest is an opportunity for students to write about some of the most important topics of our time and explore how they can help combat misinformation or work to protect freedom of the press. Essay finalists receive detailed feedback from a panel of journalists, and the winners receive prizes!

TEACHING AND LEARNING GOALS

• Teachers have an authentic and engaging writing assignment that amplifies student voices and explores issues aligned to district curricula, standards and required topics, such as the First Amendment.
• Students analyze different types of misinformation and show the ability to think critically about what is and is not verifiable information.
• Students apply their news and media literacy skills to solve the misinformation problem.
• Finalists receive real-time feedback from journalists in the field who report on these issues every day.

AWARDS: for each grade band 6-8 and 9-12

Grand prize: $200 gift card

First place

$150 gift card

Second place

$100 gift card

Third place

$50 gift card

**NYC Finalists will participate in the PitchIt! Grand Prize event on Zoom on Wednesday, June 1, 2022, where they will share their essays and receive feedback from the journalists. The winners will be chosen at this time.

ELIGIBILITY

This contest is open to middle and high school students in New York City’s five boroughs, participating with the support from a teacher. Schools are encouraged to conduct their own internal essay competition to coordinate, so teachers submit their top three essays per grade (6-8 and 9-12).

LEARNING TASK AND CHOOSING THE ESSAY TOPIC

News literacy is the ability to determine the credibility of news and other content. Students will write an essay about a local, national or international event that would have benefited from news literacy skills being applied to stop misinformation from being spread about it. They will answer one of the prompts below.

PROCESS

Step 1. Teacher introduces the writing assignment to students and the process by which the top essays will advance. News literacy topics are explored with students as they relate to the curriculum. Explore our free educator resources on NewsLit Nation or the Checkology® virtual classroom on topics like the First Amendment. See resources from the New York Public Library, which includes access to The New York Times, or any other available sources.

Step 2. Ask students to pick one of the prompts below to write about.

Step 3. Encourage students to review the article formatting requirements before submitting their essays to you.

Step 4. Teachers select up to three student essays per grade, per school, and submit.

Step 5. NLP’s educator panel selects six essays per grade band (6-8 and 9-12), to advance to the finalist stage.

Step 6: All finalists pitch their stories to a panel of journalists during the PitchIt! Grand Prize event on Zoom and receive personalized feedback and a certificate. Panelists choose the winners, who receive prizes awarded during the event.

 PROMPTS

• The First Amendment has five freedoms, and in many ways they are dependent on one another. Explain how other freedoms of the First Amendment are required to protect the freedom of the press.
• What steps should someone take to fact-check false statements by a well-known figure and what problems might arise as a result?
• People have responsibilities – things that they should do but are not required to by law. Why would providing reliable information be a responsibility?
• Imagine you heard a rumor about public figure, but you’re not sure if it is true or not. What are the potential consequences if you share it online?

CRITERIA

• Essays must be the original, unpublished work of one student.
• Essays must be 500-1000 words, clearly addressing one of the prompts.
• All essays must have a title.
• Proper citation of sources is required.
• Only three essays from each grade may be submitted per school.
• Essays must be proofread and should follow the rules for standard English (grammar, punctuation, mechanics) in writing.
• A cover page MUST be included with the following information: student name, student ID, grade level, student complete address, best student phone number, school’s name, principal’s name, teacher’s name, best teacher’s phone number and email address and title of essay.
• Entries must be submitted via email to Alesha Smith, NLP’s New York City news literacy ambassador, at [email protected].
• NYC Finalists must be able to virtually participate in the PitchIt! Grand Prize event on June 1, 2022.

STUDENT TIPS

• Essays must have a recognizable beginning (opening or introduction), middle and end (closing or conclusion).
• Hook the reader with a strong opener. Readers will use the first few sentences to decide whether they will read the whole essay.
• Keep your paragraphs short. Popular essays tend to average three sentences per paragraph.
• Submit thoroughly thought-out, tightly focused essays. Originality is also important.
• In the conclusion, include a “call to action.” Encourage readers to take some positive steps. For instance, if you’ve given them a list of tips, prompt them to put some of the tips into practice.
• Essays should be typed in 12-point, easily readable font (such as Times New Roman), double-spaced with 1” margins and numbered pages.

Contest Deadline: May 13, 2022, 9 p.m. EST.

While not required, we recommend schools conduct their own internal essay contest to establish the top essays for submission. Schools/teachers should submit their top three winning essays per grade with cover letter via email to: Alesha Smith, NLP’s New York City news literacy ambassador, at [email protected]

Download the PitchIt! student essay contest flyer (PDF).

FAQs:

• What does “teacher support” mean?
  Successful writers are made through direct instruction. Teachers are encouraged to support students in both content and the writing process. The teacher’s name and contact information must also be indicated in the cover letter as the primary point of contact regarding the entry.
• How are the essays judged?
  Essays will be reviewed by NLP’s news literacy ambassadors for accuracy, readability and creativity. Successful essays are about a local, national or international story that would have benefited from news literacy skills being applied to stop misinformation from being spread about it. For example, students should consider the impact a story had, and whether false claims about it could be debunked using reputable and verifiable sources of information.
• If my student becomes a finalist, what’s the next step?
  Teachers are notified and each student finalist will be required to create a slide presentation illustrating the issues raised in their essay. Finalists then pitch their ideas to the PitchIt! judges, during the PitchIt! grand prize event via Zoom on June 1, 2022. During this event, finalists will share their presentation. The judges will provide real-time feedback on the finalists’ pitches and select winners based on the pitch and idea that would have best prevented misinformation from being spread.
• What document formats are accepted?
  Whatever format is easy for you and your student: Microsoft Word, PDF, Google doc.
• How are the finalists announced?
  Email notification will be sent to the teacher by mid-May.
• I have more questions! Do you have contacts?
  Questions about NLP resources can be directed to Jordan Maze, senior manager of educator network operations, [email protected]. Questions about rules can be directed to Miriam Romais, senior manager of educator engagement, [email protected], and questions about entries can be directed to our New York City news literacy ambassador, Alesha Smith, [email protected].

“I once read that the belief in misinformation can result in adverse physical and psychological consequences. Our learning goals for this contest are for students to learn how to hone their skills in identifying, researching, analyzing and synthesizing information from credible sources that can be verified; this is an essential trait of news literacy. Guiding students to be successful in news literacy equips our scholars with the ability to analyze any issue through a more critical lens, which encourages higher- level thinking in their current roles as students and beyond. This expertise will be impactful in their daily academic and practical lives. For the stated reasons, we are hopeful that teachers and students from across the district will participate in this unique opportunity.”

—Alesha Smith – ELA teacher/ social studies teacher- NYC DOE

Florida educators! Enter your students in our essay contest for a chance for both of you to win an Amazon gift card worth up to $100. Deadline extended: May 13, 2022.

Student voice is a catalyst for positive change in schools and communities. For this reason, Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS), in partnership with the News Literacy Project, is hosting a writing contest to empower students to be civically informed and engaged.

The PitchIt! student essay contest is an opportunity for students to write about some of the most important topics of our time and explore how they can help combat misinformation or work to protect freedom of the press. Essay finalists receive detailed feedback from a panel of journalists, and the winners (student and teacher) receive prizes!

TEACHING AND LEARNING GOALS

• Teachers have an authentic and engaging writing assignment that amplifies student voices and explores issues aligned to district curricula, standards and required topics, such as the First Amendment.
• Students analyze different types of misinformation and show the ability to think critically about what is and is not verifiable information.
• Students apply their news and media literacy skills to solve the misinformation problem.
• Finalists receive real-time feedback from journalists in the field who report on these issues every day.

AWARDS: for each grade band 6-8 and 9-12

Grand prize: $100 Amazon gift cards (for teacher and student winner)

First place
$75 Amazon gift card (teacher and student)

Second place
$50 Amazon gift card (teacher and student)

Third place
$25 Amazon gift card (teacher and student)

**Finalists will participate in the PitchIt! Grand Prize event on Zoom at the end of May (TBD), where they will share their essays and receive feedback from the journalists. The winners will be chosen at this time.

ELIGIBILITY

This contest is open to middle and high school students participating with the support from a teacher. Schools are encouraged to conduct their own internal essay competition to coordinate, and teachers submit their top three essays per grade band (6-8 and 9-12).

LEARNING TASK AND CHOOSING THE ESSAY TOPIC

News literacy is the ability to determine the credibility of news and other content. Students will write an essay about a local, national or international event that would have benefited from news literacy skills being applied to stop misinformation from being spread about it. They will answer one of the prompts below.

PROCESS

Step 1. Teacher introduces the writing assignment to students and the process by which the top essays will advance. News literacy topics are explored with students as they relate to the curriculum. Explore the free educator resources on NewsLit Nation or the Checkology® virtual classroom on topics like the First Amendment. See resources from the NLP, M-DCPS library, which includes access to The New York Times, articles on ProQuest http://virtuallibrary.dadeschools.net/#, or any other available sources.

Step 2. Ask students to pick one of the prompts below to write about.

Step 3. Encourage students to review the article formatting requirements before submitting their essays to you.

Step 4. Teachers select up to three student essays per grade, per school, and submit.

Step 5. NLP’s educator panel selects six essays per grade band (6-8 and 9-12), to advance to the finalist stage.

Step 6: All finalists pitch their stories to a panel of journalists during the PitchIt! Grand Prize event on Zoom and receive personalized feedback and a certificate. Panelists choose the winners, who receive prizes awarded during the event.

 PROMPTS

• The First Amendment has five freedoms, and in many ways they are dependent on one another. Explain how other freedoms of the First Amendment are required to protect the freedom of the press.
• What steps should someone take to fact-check false statements by a well-known figure and what problems might arise as a result?
• People have responsibilities – things that they should do but are not required to by law. Why would providing reliable information be a responsibility?
• Imagine you heard a rumor about public figure, but you’re not sure if it is true or not. What are the potential consequences if you share it online?

CRITERIA

• Essays must be the original, unpublished work of one student.
• Essays must be 500-1000 words, clearly addressing one of the prompts.
• All essays must have a title.
• Proper citation of sources is required.
• Only three essays from each grade may be submitted per school.
• Essays must be proofread and should follow the rules for standard English (grammar, punctuation, mechanics) in writing.
• A cover page MUST be included with the following information: student name, student ID, grade level, student complete address, best student phone number, school’s name, principal’s name, teacher’s name, best teacher’s phone number and email address and title of essay.
• Entries must be submitted via email to Monica Valdes, Miami news literacy ambassador, [email protected].
• Finalists must be able to virtually participate in the PitchIt! Grand Prize event at the end of May (TBD).

STUDENT TIPS

• Essays must have a recognizable beginning (opening or introduction), middle and end (closing or conclusion).
• Hook the reader with a strong opener. Readers will use the first few sentences to decide whether they will read the whole essay.
• Keep your paragraphs short. Popular essays tend to average three sentences per paragraph.
• Submit thoroughly thought-out, tightly focused essays. Originality is also important.
• In the conclusion, include a “call to action.” Encourage readers to take some positive steps. For instance, if you’ve given them a list of tips, prompt them to put some of the tips into practice.
• Essays should be typed in 12-point, easily readable font (such as Times New Roman), double-spaced with 1” margins and numbered pages.

Contest Deadline: May 13, 2022, 5 p.m. EST.

While not required, we recommend schools conduct their own internal essay contest to establish the top essays for submission. Schools/teachers should submit their top three winning essays per grade with cover letter via email to: Monica Valdes, Miami news literacy ambassador,  [email protected]

Download the PitchIt! student essay contest flyer (PDF).

FAQs:

• What does “teacher support” mean?
  Successful writers are made through direct instruction. Teachers are encouraged to support students in both content and the writing process. The teacher’s name and contact information must also be indicated in the cover letter as the primary point of contact regarding the entry.
• How are the essays judged?
  Essays will be reviewed by NLP’s news literacy ambassadors for accuracy, readability and creativity. Successful essays are about a local, national or international story that would have benefited from news literacy skills being applied to stop misinformation from being spread about it. For example, students should consider the impact a story had, and whether false claims about it could be debunked using reputable and verifiable sources of information.
• I am not in Miami, can I still participate?
  Absolutely! The PitchIt! contest is open to all middle and high school students in Florida.
• If my student becomes a finalist, what’s the next step?
  Teachers are notified and each student finalist will be required to create a slide presentation illustrating the issues raised in their essay. Finalists then pitch their ideas to the PitchIt! judges, journalists Rose Monique Varela Henriquez of el Nuevo Herald and Carolina Rosario of Univision, during the PitchIt! grand prize event via Zoom at the end of May (TBD). During this event, finalists will share their presentation. The judges will provide real-time feedback on the finalists’ pitches and select winners based on the pitch and idea that would have best prevented misinformation from being spread. The grand prize-winning students and teachers will each receive $100 gift cards. First-place awardees receive $75, second-place winners will receive $50 and third-place finalists will be awarded $25.
• What document formats are accepted?
  Whatever format is easy for you and your student: Microsoft Word, PDF, Google doc.
• How are the finalists announced?
  Email notification will be sent to the teacher by mid-May.
• I have more questions! Do you have contacts?
  Questions about NLP resources can be directed to Jordan Maze, senior manager of educator network operations, [email protected]. Questions about rules can be directed to Miriam Romais, senior manager of educator engagement, [email protected], and questions about entries can be directed to our Miami News Literacy Ambassador, Monica Valdes, at [email protected].

“Our learning goals for this contest include helping students analyze different types of misinformation and showcasing their ability to think critically about what is and is not verifiable information. When we fail to teach news literacy, we actively disempower students from being engaged members of their communities. That’s why we hope students and teachers from across the district will enter and participate.” –Monica Valdes, social studies and film teacher, M-DCPS.

Jan. 25, 4-5 p.m. ET: National News Literacy Week #NLPchat
Join News Literacy Project team members and NewsLit Nation ambassadors from across the country for a Twitter chat from 4 to 5 p.m. ET. We’ll discuss effective methods for teaching news literacy and why understanding how journalism works is essential to being news-literate. To take part, simply follow @NewsLitProject and #NLPChat during the chat and add your voice to the discussion.

Join us for a first look at the News Literacy Project’s new framework for teaching news literacy in this free webinar, which is being held in conjunction with National News Literacy Week.

Special guest Jay McTighe, co-author of the best-selling and award-winning Understanding by Design® series with Grant Wiggins, will help introduce the framework, which was developed using the Understanding by Design® template (Wiggins and McTighe, 2005).

NLP’s new teaching framework will help educators shape learning experiences so that students can independently use their skills to be smart, active consumers of news and information and equal and engaged participants in a democracy.

NLP experts will offer a deep dive into the framework, focusing on the development and use of essential questions in lesson planning. The team will discuss why essential questions can be beneficial as entry points into news literacy units, and explain how educators can incorporate them into their existing curriculum. The webinar will also cover NLP’s complementary programs and resources, including the Checkology® virtual classroom. The final minutes of the webinar are reserved for a live Q&A.

Giveaway: All registrants attending the live webinar are eligible to win one of 10 books co-authored by McTighe. The giveaway is sponsored by NLP.

Register now (it’s free!)

This event is part of the third annual National News Literacy Week (NNLW), Jan. 24 to 28, presented by NLP in partnership with The E.W. Scripps Company. NNLW raises awareness of news literacy as an essential life skill and provides educators, students and the public with easy-to-adopt tools and tips for becoming news-literate.

Contact

Please email any questions to Shaelynn Farnsworth ([email protected]).