Week 8 we read “Navigating Social Journalism” by Martin Hirst and “The Political Economy of Fake News” and re-watched the podcast from Week 6 with Sophie Lui. Week 8 made me critically think of the importance of where you get your information from and the facts that can lead to the spread of misinformation.
Social media can be used in so many different ways. Notable individuals with large followings can have a serious impact of the beliefs and ideas of their followers. Again as I’ve talked about so much in this class there are so many positives and negatives around social media especially how easy it is to access and spread information regardless of how truthful it may or may not be. That is why it is so important to develop critical thinking skills to be able to navigate the mounds of fake and real information out there. As a teacher, I’ve put heavy emphasis on digital literacy and have had the students take a look at Break the Fake – MediaSmarts which is a fun scavenger hunt that helps develop critical thinking skills and an awareness of fake media. I’m interested to see what the future of journalism looks like 10 years down the road as it has changed drastically where people get their news and information from in just the last 10 years. Reputation becomes so important as a journalist/veteran storyteller as people turn to you for real and reliable information.