Media literacy to separate facts from opinions

[shishir.seoexpert1]

On the Internet, young people are confronted with an abundance of content, including journalistic information. The #UseTheNews study finds that adolescents and young adults do not necessarily give more credence to journalistic content than to individual statements, often because they lack knowledge about journalism and its working methods.

The dpa then highlights the crucial importance of media education gambling data russia for the youngest, as well as for the oldest. Indeed, in 2016 a study by the Stanford History Education Group indicated that almost all American high school students surveyed do not take into account the validity of a source when they get information . At the same time, a study by the Pew Research Center revealed that only a minority of adults were able to differentiate facts from opinions.

Considering that this lack of information culture is a threat to democracy, the dpa underlines, through its project, that media education is more than important, to give young people certain essential elements to understand current events and the media, discern reliable information and flush out fake news .



What lessons can journalism learn from this study?
Because their information coexists with other non-journalistic content on digital platforms, journalists must put even more emphasis on the daily relevance of their offers for adolescents and young adults , by transparently sharing their working methods to provide verified and quality information, which differentiates them from other players on social networks.
Most teenagers are interested in unusual or funny content. One way to convey information to this target audience will therefore be to adapt not only the formats but also the tone of the content, and to add a touch of humor, including in the information. To respond to the criticism made by young audiences, suggesting that certain subjects that do not concern them are omnipresent in the media, it would be relevant to offer them more personalized experiences.
There is no mistaking this young target, which is far from uniform. While a small portion is very active and visible on social media, it will also be a matter of giving voice to the more passive Gen Z. Faced with extremely polarized content on the various platforms, Gen Z is looking for impartial information that emphasizes facts and in-depth analyses of current events . This is partly how journalistic information can distinguish itself from other content highlighted on the platforms.
Finally, it will be a question of adding a new capacity to the skills catalogue of journalists if they want to reach the Gen Z target: innovation .