this post was submitted on 11 Nov 2023
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United States | News & Politics

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Pushing back against the surge of misinformation online, California will now require all K-12 students to learn media literacy skills — such as recognizing fake news and thinking critically about what they encounter on the internet.

Gov. Gavin Newsom last month signed Assembly Bill 873, which requires the state to add media literacy to curriculum frameworks for English language arts, science, math and history-social studies, rolling out gradually beginning next year. Instead of a stand-alone class, the topic will be woven into existing classes and lessons throughout the school year.

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[–] alucard@sopuli.xyz 40 points 2 years ago

I am glad to see this! It is a little late but very welcome and will help future generations significantly. It will be especially interesting to see in the very red counties like Shasta and Kern.

[–] sbv@sh.itjust.works 16 points 2 years ago

That's a really interesting article. I appreciate that it digs into techniques for spotting misinformation.

[–] Default_Defect@midwest.social 14 points 2 years ago (3 children)

I hesitate to call it dyslexia, but I had to read the title 3 times before I read it correctly, I thought it said "California Schools Will Require Students to Learn to Fake IDs"

[–] vox@sopuli.xyz 5 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

same, I've seen the post 3 times today, though it said "to fake ids" every time

[–] Catsrules@lemmy.ml 2 points 2 years ago

Glad I wasn't the only one. I was like what is wrong with me. At least if there is something wrong I am not alone.

[–] moistclump@lemmy.world 13 points 2 years ago (1 children)

I don’t love that we’re using the term “fake news” which felt popularized by Donald Trump and used as an autoresponse to media he didn’t like, rather than a label for poorly sourced or biased media. That said, super happy to see that this education is happening and hopefully we have a new generation of kids growing up that feel more equipped to use their critical thinking skills when navigating the vast world of information being thrown at them!

[–] grue@lemmy.world 11 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Trump didn't make it up; he just repopularized an old NAZI tactic.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lying_press

[–] ksharp@lemmy.ml 7 points 2 years ago

The above poster isn't saying that Trump made up 'fake news,' they are pointing out that the overuse of 'fake news' has become fatiguing to many people. We hear 'fake news' and we don't have a visceral negative reaction to it as we should, it's just something we roll our eyes at now because hearing it over and over again has desensitized us.

Another recent comparable would be the word 'enshittification' which, while apt, already seems like a tired expression that also somehow underscores the severity of the phenomenon it is describing.

[–] reverendsteveii@lemm.ee 13 points 2 years ago (1 children)

"Identifying fake news? More like leftist indoctrination!" ---the guy you went to high school with who would snort crushed candy for a dollar and has never been more than 100 miles from the parking lot he was conceived in

[–] timewarp@lemmy.world 2 points 2 years ago

That is oddly specific.

[–] LethalSmack@lemmy.world 11 points 2 years ago (1 children)

I really hope it’s not the same kind of critical thinking that some other states pushed.

Missouri’s version was to assign a controversial and biased news article and the students had to write an essay agreeing with the article while citing that same article. Outside sources were not allowed and neither was disagreeing with the article. Anything but full agreement resulted in a 0% and put marks against the school since it was state assessment.

[–] Franzia@lemmy.blahaj.zone 4 points 2 years ago

I learned something along these lines in English class one day with fiction, the news was based on old newspapers or whatever. It would be good to update that to current news design patterns.

[–] mydude@lemmy.world 4 points 2 years ago

“True or False: A CIA analyst’s guide to spotting fake news” this is funny because: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=aemyhNJUAzQ

[–] timewarp@lemmy.world 2 points 2 years ago

I mean this is great if it merely focuses on spotting misinformation as a whole. Our whole lives we are inundated with misinformation from advertisers, politicians, news, etc. However, I do worry that those in charge of such a program will end up using it for the wrong purposes. Like when real estate investors pour billions into studies against working from home, or when the pharma-industry sees loses from weed or psilocybin.

[–] mindbleach@sh.itjust.works -1 points 2 years ago (2 children)

'But who decides what's fake news?!,' insist people who think reality is based on 'who decides.'

[–] solowolf@kbin.social 5 points 2 years ago (1 children)

People in power, similar to hate speech

[–] mindbleach@sh.itjust.works -1 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Pictured: the oblivious problem.

[–] atkion@sh.itjust.works 0 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Pictured: Someone who cannot imagine the people in power pushing narratives they disagree with.

[–] mindbleach@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 years ago

'These people are demonstrably lying.'

'Oh, so you can't imagine being lied to?'

Wrong.

[–] authed@lemmy.ml -4 points 2 years ago (1 children)

In California everything from the extreme right will be fake news

[–] mindbleach@sh.itjust.works 8 points 2 years ago

On Earth everything from the extreme right is fake news. Fascists lie. Calling them on it is not bias; it's reality.