Column: A healthy democracy depends on critical thinking and news literacy
This column was written by request in support of National News Literacy Week, Jan. 22-26
By Rep. Katrina Shankland
At a time when many Americans report receiving their news from social media, where sensationalized and divisive headlines drive engagement, engagement drives advertisement revenue, and user-based algorithms insulate media consumers from opposing viewpoints or perspectives, it’s crucial that our society is capable of discerning what is and is not true for the sake of our democracy.
The perverse incentive structure for many digital and social media-based news outlets relies on reader,
listener, or viewer outrage. In my view, artificially fomented outrage is a leading contributor to the political and social consternation we are experiencing in communities throughout our country. As we celebrate National News Literacy Week, let us recommit ourselves to asking thoughtful and critical questions about the media we are consuming.
Who wrote this? Is this a news article or an opinion piece? Is the framing of the story objective or biased? Am I only seeing one perspective on my timeline, and why is that? Who did they leave out from this story, and what is the interest in doing so? What sources did they cite? The list could go on. Good news literacy requires pausing and thinking before sharing information we don’t know the origins of and being curious about the motives of those offering it before accepting it as the truth. It means verifying the accuracy of what we post – if it sounds too good to be true or confirms everything we already believe to be true, it’s worth checking.
I also want to recognize the importance of supporting quality local journalism. While the digital revolution has expanded access to information for everyone, it has also proven difficult for local media outlets, as online subscriptions and advertising revenue have not kept pace with the revenue once collected from traditional newspaper subscriptions. Our community needs local journalism, and we should be willing to pay for it, as there are many important regional issues that statewide and national media outlets simply are not going to cover.
Take, for example, the Portage County Health Care Center issue and access to a five-star skilled nursing home in Central Wisconsin – this is a vital issue that would never be covered by a national news outlet. And even when national news does cover our region, the nationalization of local news stories often lacks the depth and community-based context necessary to accurately tell the story. Let us celebrate our local journalists and support them with not only page views and encouraging words, but also with our subscriptions.
As we celebrate National News Literacy Week, we recognize that together, we can reduce the spread of
misinformation and support quality journalism in our community. And let’s challenge ourselves to step outside of our bubbles now and then and have thoughtful conversations with those we disagree with—often, this uncovers we have more in common than not. Our greatest commonality? We want what’s best for our community – and sharpening our news literacy and critical thinking skills will bring us together to keep improving it.
Rep. Katrina Shankland (D-Stevens Point) represents Portage County in the Wisconsin State Assembly.
