HANOVER COUNTY, Va. -- In the Hanover 99 studio at Hanover High School, journalism students learn what it’s like to work in television news.
As a partnership between the News Literacy Project, The E.W. Scripps Company and CBS 6, the students were able to learn a lesson in “news literacy.”
"In this day and age, it's so important that we all become better consumers of media," Brian Capaldo, Hanover County Schools Programming/Production Coordinator, said. “There's no question about it. And a class like this is a great opportunity to introduce these kids to that topic."
Brian Capaldo
The News Literacy Project provides educators with tools and resources to teach students how to navigate today’s complex information landscape, learn to judge the credibility of information for themselves, and become engaged and informed participants in our democracy.
"I think it's really easy to believe whatever you see, but it's not always the case," journalism student Ruthie Weeks said.
Ruthie and her fellow students said they discovered a lot of misinformation and disinformation while researching stories.
"I think it's really important that lots of teenagers or even adults are capable of looking into different sources and really understanding what they're talking about," she said.
Ruthie Weeks
Earlier this week, CBS 6 advised these students on a story they produced themselves that aired during our newscasts. They weeded through information they found online about teenagers, mental health, and the stigmas surrounding it.
It included fact-checking, subject-matter-expert interviews, and good old-fashioned research.
"The way that we all get our media is so completely different than when we were kids," Capaldo said. “Now everything is in the palm of our hand. But you also don't really know the validity of some of that information."
Building news literacy... is Building Better Minds.
