Last month, our blog provided an introduction to deepfakes, a technique in which artificial intelligence-based technology is used to alter or produce video content, tricking viewers into believing that something happened when it actually did not.
This month, we follow up with more on this important subject, including resources and programming ideas for all ages.
Between the two of us we have over 45 years of teaching experience. (Yes, we are stunned by that, too!) From the beginning, our library programming has taught students to responsibly and critically select and evaluate their resources. It’s the very foundation of media and information literacy and a critical skill for students to master in their K-12 education.Â
As librarians, we are continually challenged and tasked with creating programming that teach multiple literacies — including information literacy, digital literacy, news literacy and media literacy — in fun, engaging and interactive ways.Â
 Actual text message exchange between one of the authors of this blog and her child:  Â
                          
The American Library Association's Public Programs Office is seeking six librarian advisors to support the creation of adult media literacy programming resources focused on how the often-overlooked structural parts of the internet affect the information people see and find online.
Small and rural libraries face a variety of unique challenges. The problem of misinformation is one of them.
Join us for a free webinar as part of our series on Media Literacy in the Library.
Our current media ecosystem is pretty messy. It is filled with a mix of both professionally produced and user-generated content that tends to get blended together on internet social media platforms like YouTube and Facebook. In this webinar, Michael Spikes of Northwestern University School of Education and Social Policy will discuss how this mix of content leads to a “blurring of the lines” between various types of content making it difficult to tell what is trustworthy and what is not.
Join us for a free webinar as part of our series on Media Literacy in the Library.
What is civic information and what role does the library play in providing access to it? Join Laura Saunders of Simmons University School of Library and Information Science for a webinar on the important role libraries play in the civic life of their patrons and how that role is shaped.
View other webinars in this series and download the practitioner's guide.
According to the Pew Research Center, “roughly eight-in-ten U.S. adults go online at least daily.” However, many are unfamiliar with the basic ways the internet works, including why certain content ends up in our search engine results.
Since the 2016 U.S. presidential election, we have become increasingly familiar with the universe of fake news and its proliferation and persistence in print, visual and social media.
People who need media literacy skills may not be eager to sign up for a program or class on the subject; in fact, they may not know their skills are lacking at all.
Creating a program dedicated to media literacy is great (and you'll find lots of program ideas here!), but you can also find ways to introduce media literacy concepts into everyday interactions with your patrons.
Imagine that you are working at the reference desk when a patron comes to you with a question. They cite a “fact” that has been widely debunked, mentioning an article from a publication that you know to be untrustworthy. What can you, as a library worker, do to educate and inform them?
When we first started blogging for Programming Librarian, it was January 2018. We had just presented at the 2017 American Association of School Librarians (AASL) Conference in Phoenix on the trend of fake news that was on the uptick leading up to and after the 2016 presidential election.
Well, here we are again, leading up to another presidential election. And adding to that, we’re in the midst of a pandemic and nationwide protests over racial justice and police brutality.
As I write this, in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, it seems like online programs are the only way for librarians to connect with their patrons. Digital storytelling is a creative way to engage patrons virtually right now — and as a bonus, you will learn some fantastic skills you can take back to your libraries when this is all over, for intergenerational workshops or homeschooling projects to improve digital literacy. So let's get started!
How to Spot Fake News helps high school students develop critical judgment skills to assess news sources.
Using national and local news articles and videos, critical discussion and games, students learn how to identify fake news.
To become a successful student and mature adult, children need to develop critical thinking skills. In the ever-changing world of electronic communication and emerging technologies, how can library workers help children develop and activate skills necessary to access, evaluate and create media? What better way to promote media literacy skill development than through library programming?
With the 2020 election right around the corner, there is an Internet trend that should give angst to anyone who works with young people and/or information literacy.
It’s called a “deepfake,” and it is a technique in which artificial intelligence-based technology is used to alter or produce video content. Essentially, a deepfake is a video of something that looks like it occurred, but truly did not.
Information literacy and media literacy are crucial to student learning. As we have advocated in past blog posts, the process of teaching skills to produce media literate students starts in kindergarten and continues throughout their years as lifelong learners.
Join the ALA Public Programs Office and the Center for News Literacy at Stony Brook University for a one-day workshop to learn how your library can help adults in your community become eagle-eyed news consumers.
Media Literacy at Your Library Training will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday, June 21, as part of the 2019 ALA Annual Conference (June 20 to 25).
In this intensive one-day preconference, participants will:
In fall 2017, ALA and the Center for News Literacy (CNL) at Stony Brook University embarked on Media Literacy at Your Library, a prototype project that sought to address the critical need in the field for adult media literacy education, with a focus on news literacy.
