A disturbing, sad headline hit our inboxes this week: “Half of U.S. teens think journalists make up quotes and do favors for sources, new report finds.”
The headline from Editor and Publisher focuses on a News Literacy Project report that was released last month on the perceptions of news media and journalism among U.S. teens.
In our opinion, the study is a good look at where media, from small-town newspapers to huge international companies, should focus. It also indicates where communities and families should focus.
The News Literacy Project is, the report states, “a nonpartisan education nonprofit that works with teachers, school districts, states and community partners like libraries and after-school clubs to ensure students in all 50 states receive news literacy instruction before they graduate from high school.”
For more information on the News Literacy Project, visit newslit.org.
The first of the key findings in the report is that the majority of teens — 84 percent — expressed a negative sentiment when asked about what word best describes news media now, with words like “fake,” “false” and “lies” common and others indicating chaos and “overwhelm.”
The second key finding states, “More teens believe journalists are skilled at lying and deceiving than informing the public.” Other, positive skills listed include informing the public and uncovering the truth.
The third key finding indicates that young people want journalists to get the facts right and minimize bias.
The fourth states, “More teens believe professional journalists regularly engage in unethical behaviors than they believe journalists regularly engage in standards-based practices.”
The fifth key finding notes that most teens can’t think of any representations of journalism on screen. If they do, chances are it’s from “Spider-Man.”
Some of those findings hurt because of our firm belief that having an informed public is better for everyone. They represent a misunderstanding of what journalism largely is and should be, and shows we have a lot to do to build and maintain trust.
But, we also completely understand where those teens who took part in the study are coming from because we share some of the same sentiments about a lot of news media sources, and we continually work to practice what some call “dinosaur journalism,” focusing on providing facts so folks can form their own opinions.
We also know that we are fortunate that several of our local schools help introduce media literacy skills, and we’re grateful to have been included in career days over the years.
In 2021, The SUN began partnering with area schools for our Newspapers in Education program. Through the program, students at multiple local schools receive copies of the newspaper each week, with research showing that newspapers as a teaching tool offer myriad benefits.
Among other things, the program seeks to help students gain a better understanding of local government, links real-world experience to the classroom and encourages critical thinking.
Beyond that, we are also happy to be a part of education surrounding media literacy, which continues to be a critical skill in our world, especially with evolution of AI.
We also know that local journalism is incredibly important and will continue to be important as these students grow and become community leaders themselves.
We hope next year’s report reflects changes and progress in how news is presented, perceived and consumed.
Journalism — local journalism in particular — is what keeps communities informed and connected, and is vital to a healthy democracy.
Randi Pierce
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