On Board Online • June 30, 2025
By Alan Wechsler
Special Correspondent
Asked what he has learned from high school classes on media literacy, Michael Alfaro recites a Spanish expression that he translates as: When the river cries, it brings rocks. In other words: In a deluge of information, there are bound to be some falsehoods.
His classmate Semyrahh Mays said she has grown concerned about where her friends get news about events in Gaza. "There were times [their] information wasn't as accurate as what I've read."
"I stay up to date more with news because of this class," said another student, Brook Boodram. She said she is more comfortable talking about controversial topics with people who might have contrary views: "It's important to not only share opinions but do it a respectful way."
All three students have completed a year-long elective in media literacy in the Baldwin Union Free School District in Nassau County. It's part of a district curriculum, mostly required, that emphasizes media literacy in grades 6-12.
"It is clear to me that this is the single-most important skill all our kids need to have before graduating high school," said Baldwin Superintendent Shari Camhi, who will retire in August. "We recognize the need to make sure that all of our students are news and media literate," said Camhi, who servied as as president of AASA (the national school superintendents association) from 2022 to 2023.
More than 80% of middle school students cannot differentiate between a news story and an advertisement, according to a toolkit for educators produced by the state Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, which sees a need for developing "discerning members of civic society."
In recent years, professors at Stony Brook University's Center for News Literacy have focused on helping primary and secondary schools improve students' media literacy.
"It became clear to us that it was way, way, way too late to start that kind of instruction when students are 18 years old," said Howard Schneider, who runs the center. "Not when more than 90 percent have smart phones when they're 12," said Schneider, a former Newsday managing editor who was founding dean of Stony Brook's School of Communication and Journalism.
So far, the Center for News Literacy has partnered with seven Long Island districts, including Baldwin, to promote media literacy in various ways.
One district begins with instruction in kindergarten with a deep dive into the story of Chicken Little. In case you've forgotten the tale: After being hit on the head by an acorn, the chicken protagonist - known as Henny Penny in Europe - concludes that the sky is falling. Alarm spreads among various animals (all of whom have rhyming names such as Goosey Loosey). They rush to warn the king, but a fox slyly leads them to his hole, where they're never seen again.
The parable can be interpreted as a cautionary tale on the dangers of "fake news."
In Baldwin, media literacy has been covered in middle school and high school since the fall of 2020. With help from a grant from the Stony Brook center, media literacy instruction is embedded in social studies and English classes.
Those who take part in a mandatory half-year senior program learn to question the stories with the help of a mnemonic called RAVEN. They learn about fact-checking websites and the role bias plays in any written work. They also learn about "advertorials" - an advertisement that is made to look like a news story, sometimes with the words "paid advertisement" in small print.
They also learn to talk about issues with a concern for where people are getting their information. For English teacher Chris Soupios, one of the most important skills is to teach students how to have difficult conversations without offending the other party.
"A political viewpoint doesn't make one person good or bad," he said.
At the start of the year, he recalled, students had trouble accepting opinions they disagreed with. But now, students seem to have gained the empathy to not judge someone based on their opinions, he said.
"If you don't find a way to get people comfortable sharing opposing ideas, you can't have these conversations," he said. "It's not just something in school. It's essential to push these skills."
The Center for News Literacy offers a four-day summer course for teachers. This year's virtual class runs July 14 to 17, with space still available. The cost is $500 to $550 per teacher (depending on how many enroll per district). For information, contact howard.schneider@stonybrook.edu.
School board members and administrators interested in news literacy should consider attending NYSSBA's Leadership in Education Event, which will have a session on the subject.