Never before has the need for News Literacy been more urgent. As news consumers are bombarded with a constant stream of fake news, propaganda, hoaxes, rumors, satire, and advertising — that often masquerade as credible journalism — it is becoming more and more difficult to distinguish fact from fiction. While the public’s faith in the news media erodes, purveyors of misinformation have helped give rise to troubling cultural trends and alarming political movements.
Offered By
The University of Hong Kong
The State University of New York
Making Sense of the News: News Literacy Lessons for Digital Citizens
The University of Hong KongAbout this Course
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Shareable Certificate
Earn a Certificate upon completion
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Flexible deadlines
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Beginner Level
Approx. 11 hours to complete
English
Subtitles: Chinese (Traditional), Chinese (Simplified), English, Spanish, Polish
Skills you will gain
NewsEvaluationMedia LiteracyJournalism
Shareable Certificate
Earn a Certificate upon completion
100% online
Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.
Flexible deadlines
Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.
Beginner Level
Approx. 11 hours to complete
English
Subtitles: Chinese (Traditional), Chinese (Simplified), English, Spanish, Polish
Offered by
The University of Hong Kong
The University of Hong Kong is the territory’s oldest institute of higher learning and also an internationally recognized, research led, comprehensive university. It engages in frontier research and academic endeavours that reflect and address the needs of a fast changing, knowledge-based world.
The State University of New York
The State University of New York, with 64 unique institutions, is the largest comprehensive system of higher education in the United States. Educating nearly 468,000 students in more than 7,500 degree and certificate programs both on campus and online, SUNY has nearly 3 million alumni around the globe.
Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
2 hours to complete
Making sense of the news is more important than ever
2 hours to complete
5 videos (Total 21 min), 5 readings, 2 quizzes
5 videos
Power of information4m
Shoot the messenger: Why journalists become targets5m
Communication models and media4m
News cycles in the age of social media3m
5 readings
Recommended resources: Why news literacy matters10m
Recommended resources: Power of information10m
Recommended resources: Why journalists become targets10m
Definitions: "Social media" and "News cycles"10m
Recommended resources: News cycles in the age of social media10m
2 practice exercises
Power of Information10m
The responsibility of digital citizens12m
2 hours to complete
What is news and who decides?
2 hours to complete
5 videos (Total 23 min), 6 readings, 2 quizzes
5 videos
Information Neighborhoods4m
Blurred lines5m
Universal news drivers6m
Editorial judgment3m
6 readings
Recommended resources: What makes journalism different10m
Recommended resources: Information neighborhoods10m
Recommended resources: Blurred lines10m
Recommended resources: What makes news10m
Exercise: Editorial judgment10m
Tell us more about yourself [optional survey]10m
2 practice exercises
What is news and who decides?18m
What makes some information newsworthy?10m
2 hours to complete
Where can we find trustworthy information?
2 hours to complete
6 videos (Total 33 min), 6 readings, 2 quizzes
6 videos
Truth4m
Evidence6m
Why verification fails4m
What is media bias?5m
Cognitive dissonance, confirmation bias5m
Opinion journalism and bloviation6m
6 readings
Recommended resources: Truth is provisional10m
Recommended resources: Evidence and fact checking10m
Recommended resources: Why verification fails10m
Recommended resources: Understanding bias10m
Recommended resources: Testing our own bias10m
Recommended resources: Opinion journalism10m
2 practice exercises
Truth in Journalism16m
Media bias, audience bias12m
2 hours to complete
Says who?
2 hours to complete
4 videos (Total 21 min), 4 readings, 2 quizzes
4 videos
The importance of sources3m
Evaluating sources: IM VAIN8m
Evaluating anonymous sources4m
4 readings
Recommended resources: False equivalence10m
Recommended resources: Sources10m
Recommended resources: What makes a source reliable10m
Recommended resources: Anonymous sources10m
2 practice exercises
Fairness and balance10m
Source evaluation34m
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