Newsliteracy-outcomes

Here is a bullet-point summary, from Howard Schneider of Stony Brook University, of the key skills and concepts which students need to know -- or know how to do.

Key skills

1. Recognize the difference between journalism and other kinds of information and between journalists and other information purveyors.
2. In the context of journalism, recognize the difference between news and opinion.
3. In the context of news stories, analyze the difference between asssertion and verification and between evidence and inference.
4. Evaluate and "deconstruct" news reports based on the quality of evidence presented and the reliability of sources; understand and apply these principles across all news media platforms.
5. Distinguish between news media bias and audience bias.

Key concepts

1. Appreciate the power of reliable information and the importance of a free flow of information in a democratic society.
2. Understand the nature and mission of the American press and its relationship with the government; compare and contrast to other systems around the world.
3. Understand how journalists work and make decisions and why they make mistakes.
4. Understand how the digital revolution and the structural changes in the news media can affect news consumers.
5. Understand why news matters and why becoming a more discerning news consumer can change their own lives and the life of the country.

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