Mason Backs Bill to Teach Students Media Literacy

GURNEE, Ill. – Young people would spend time in the classroom learning how to analyze and assess various forms of news media under legislation supported by state Rep. Joyce Mason, D-Gurnee.

“Social media and the digitization of the news industry has made it easier for everyday residents to stay up-to-date on the latest headlines, but at the same time, it has also made it easier for illegitimate organizations to quickly spread misinformation,” Mason said. “Unfortunately, we’ve seen the ways these disingenuous articles can cause serious, real-world harm by promoting dangerous conspiracies about issues like the legitimacy of our elections and the safety of our vaccines. We need to take action to prevent these sort of lies from continuing to spread unchecked.”

Mason is sponsoring House Bill 234, legislation that would require all public schools to include a course on media literacy as part of their high school curriculums. In the class, students would learn how to evaluate the trustworthiness of media organizations, analyze the objectives of news stories, produce media messages and engage in thoughtful dialogue on issues covered in the news. House Bill 234 is currently awaiting a vote on the House floor.

“It’s time we start equipping our young people with the tools they need to be able to responsibly evaluate the validity of the news they’re consuming,” Mason said. “We’re all better off when we as a society can consistently and confidently distinguish fact from fiction, and this legislation would make sure that future generations will enter into adulthood being able to do that with ease.”