About this course: Never before has the need for News Literacy been more urgent. As news consumers are bombarded with a constant stream of fake news, propaganda, hoaxes, rumors, satire, and advertising — that often masquerade as credible journalism — it is becoming more and more difficult to distinguish fact from fiction. While the public’s faith in the news media erodes, purveyors of misinformation have helped give rise to troubling cultural trends and alarming political movements. This six-week course will help learners develop their critical thinking skills to enable them to better identify reliable information in news reports and to become better informed about the world in which we live. The course will discuss the key elements of journalism from the viewpoint of the news audience. The language of instruction is English, but Chinese and Spanish subtitles will be available. Each week will tackle a challenge unique to the digital era: Week 1: The power of information is now in the hands of consumers. Week 2: What makes journalism different from other types of information? Week 3: Where can we find trustworthy information? Week 4: How to tell what’s fair and what’s biased. Week 5: How to apply news literacy concepts in real life. Week 6: Meeting the challenges of digital citizenship.
Who is this class for: We are thrilled to make this course available for anybody who is interested in learning how to evaluate the quality of news and journalism in order to judge the reliability of information and make informed judgment. It is an online version of the News Literacy curriculum developed at Stony Brook University in New York and the University of Hong Kong. More than 15,000 university students in ten countries have taken it over the last ten years. We have been constantly updating our course material by incorporating the impact of the growing popularity of smart phones and social media services around the world. We hope you enjoy the course!
Taught by: Masato Kajimoto, Assistant Professor
Journalism and Media Studies Centre, The University of Hong Kong
Taught by: Howard Schneider, Dean
Stony Brook University School of Journalism
Taught by: Anne Kruger, Lecturer
Journalism and Media Studies Centre, The University of Hong Kong
Taught by: Steven Reiner, Associate Professor
Stony Brook University School of Journalism
Taught by: Jonathan Anzalone, Lecturer and Assistant Director of the Center for News Literacy
Stony Brook University School of Journalism
Taught by: Michael A. Spikes, Director, Digital Resources
Center for News Literacy, Stony Brook University School of Journalism
Taught by: Richard Hornik, Lecturer
Stony Brook University School of Journalism
| Level | Beginner |
| Commitment | 6 weeks of study, 2-3 hours/week |
| Language | English, Subtitles: Spanish, Polish, Chinese (Traditional), Chinese (Simplified) |
| How To Pass | Pass all graded assignments to complete the course. |
| User Ratings |
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| Audit | Purchase Course | |
|---|---|---|
| Access to course materials | Available | Available |
| Access to graded materials | Not available | Available |
| Receive a final grade | Not available | Available |
| Earn a shareable Course Certificate | Not available | Available |
Informative and nicely paced. Expectations are not challenging to meet. Nice pace to follow at your leisure. Solid grounding in the subject. Quality relevant examples.
I was expecting a good class, but this exceeded my expectations. Well worth the money!
Really enjoyed this course. Lots of good information on how to identify fake news.
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MM
It is an essencial course for any responsible citizen