Spot the technique: a free, self-paced daily challenge for Media Literacy Week. Each day from October 26 to 30, two real 2026 political ads go up on semblen.com, one from each side, built around the same persuasion technique (name calling, glittering generalities, exaggeration, appeal to fear, loaded language). Readers pick the techniques they see, then compare their answers with Semblen’s analysis, which marks the exact words and explains each technique in a sentence. It judges wording, not which side is right, and disagreeing with the machine, for a reason, counts. Takes about five minutes a day; works as a classroom warm-up, with a free 45-minute lesson plan at semblen.com/classroom. No sign-up, no student data, no ads.
McKenzie Sadeghi oversees NewsGuard’s work at the intersection of artificial intelligence and foreign influence, and in tracking state-sponsored propaganda. In a conversation with Deanna Troust of Truth in Common, she’ll share about current trends in disinformation and her reporting, which includes revealing a network of over 150 disinformation-spewing websites run out of Moscow by a former Florida deputy sheriff.
On the next Tuesday Night Movie…
Wes Craven’s classic horror film “Scream” on the big screen! Presented with The Rapidian, in recognition of Media Literacy Week! “Scream” is one of the great meta horror films of all time. Not only a thrilling slasher, but a smart take on analyzing media consumption, genre conventions, and the influence of media on real-world perception.
U.S. Media Literacy Week advocates, educates, and brings together hundreds of partners for events and activities around the country. Media literacy is the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, create, and act using all forms of communication. A necessary, inevitable, and realistic response to the complex, ever-changing electronic media environment surrounding us. Learn more about Media Literacy Week at: https://mlw.namle.org/
Learn more about The Rapidian at: https://www.therapidian.org
Scream
Directed by: Wes Craven
Genre: Horror
Released: 1996
Runtime: 111 minutes
Rated: R
Join us for an exploration of misinformation and disinformation in the digital age. Our panelists will decode the tactics used to manipulate and divide us, and how we can take productive steps to counter them. You’ll leave with practical tools for navigating today’s information landscape with confidence.
Register here: https://bit.ly/DemocracyHappyHour