Watchdogs, Gatekeepers, or Referees? The Media’s Role in Democratic Elections

As the 2024 election season approaches, we are again faced with an onslaught on information, misinformation, and disinformation about candidates, issues, and the election process itself. What impact, if any, do the media have on U.S. elections? How can we strive to educate ourselves and others with the best information to make informed choices? At this panel session, the authors of the recent article “Prebunking Election Fraud: Strategies to Confront Conspiracy Theories” (in Social Education) will provide a brief primer of the different roles the media plays in politics and how citizens can contextualize and interpret information from various media sources.

You Are Here: Charting the Course for Media Literacy for All

Featuring: Donnell Probst
Deputy Director of the National Association for Media Literacy Education

As it becomes increasingly challenging to navigate the fire hose of information. It isn’t enough to simply distinguish between fact and fiction. We must strive to understand information, its intention, influence, and impact.

This event will offer an overview of media literacy education. She will explore
● why media literacy is critical at every age
● what resources are needed to understand
● what effective media literacy education looks like in the classroom
● national efforts pushing for its implementation nationwide

Amplifying Media Literacy: Equitable Media Literacy and the “Minds Over Media” Podcast

Media literacy is the key to nurturing informed, discerning, and empowered students. Join us for a discussion designed to explore big questions about media literacy and education in our podcast “Minds Over Media” that features 10 of the leading researchers and practitioners in the field. Topics of the podcasts include stereotypes, balancing media consumption, diversity, equity, and inclusion in media, and civic media. Learn more about professional development opportunities for teachers and discover practical strategies for integrating content into your curriculum, fostering analytical thinking, and empowering students to navigate the complex landscape of media with confidence.

“Trust Me” Documentary Worldwide Watch Party

Host a “Trust Me” virtual watch party at your home, school, library, or with your employee resource group! The Walter Cronkite Excellence in Journalism awarded film brings awareness to people’s need for media literacy to foster peace, hope, resilience, trust, lessen polarization, and preserve democracy. It features stories from around the globe filmed by Oscar-nominated Roko Belic and experts like Harvard psychologist Steven Pinker, Poynter’s Aaron Sharockman, Pulitzer Prized Journalist Jeffrey Gettleman, and Black Girl Film Camp’s Jimmeka Anderson.