Fight ‘fake news’ with education, not censorship – Iowa City Press Citizen

Rachel Zuckerman, Guest Opinion 6:34 p.m. CT May 19, 2017

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Journalists have been distraught since the 2017 presidential campaign. We are struggling with how to deal with fake news, increased calls for censorship, and negotiating what freedom of the press looks like in the digital age.

These conflicts are all important topics that must be debated. As journalists, we should be introspective about our role moving forward. However, while we negotiate the appropriate level of censorship or the best way to report on President Donald Trumps latest tweet, we miss the bigger picture.

Where are the critical discussions happening around education and media literacy?

Only about 1 in 3 American adults had a bachelors degree or higher in 2015, according to census data. Nate Silver's FiveThirtyEight identified education, not income or other demographic factors, as the largest gap between Trump and Hillary Clinton voters. Clinton overwhelmingly outperformed Trump in counties where most people had at least a four-year degree.

The Trump campaigns fear-mongering and emotional appeals likely resonated more among people with lower educational levels than Clintons policy-oriented message. Trumps appeal also contributed to his ability to sow distrust in the media among his less educated base.

Yet, journalists have still arrived at a place where we debate semantics do we call false statements lies or falsehoods? Concurrent debates about censorship emerge. Is it beneficial to the public to censor hate speech and fake news that could perpetuate violence? Some journalists may feel the need to self-censor to avoid the criticism of a politically charged president.

As journalists, we fail to address societal problems when we become too self-centered. While we focus on how journalists should do their jobs better, we miss reporting on the fact that many of these issues would be mitigated with increased education and informed news consumption.

The editor-in-chief of The Daily Iowan, Lily Abromeit, agrees.

The reason fake news is such a problem is because people believe it, she said. I'm kind of starting to think that people don't really understand how to read a news article and what to look for to understand if it is legitimate.

A 2016 study from Stanford confirms Abromeits analysis. The research found that students at almost all grade levels cannot recognize fake news online.

Therefore, rather than disputing the limits of censorship, our time would be better spent thinking about how to integrate media literacy training into the classroom in addition to making education more accessible to Americans. Increased rates of educational attainment would equip more of the U.S. population with the critical thinking skills necessary to navigate our complex modern media landscape.

In an era of fake news and alternative facts, journalists must be diligent. We should question how to do our jobs better, but we should also press the public to demand education for the millions of Americans who have not received sufficient opportunities.

I realize it actually isn't probably very easy. But still important enough to be worthwhile, Abromeit said.

Rachel Zuckerman is a recent journalism and political science graduate from the University of Iowa who also served as student body president.

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Fight 'fake news' with education, not censorship - Iowa City Press Citizen