Masato Kajimoto +6 more instructors

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 Kong

About this Course

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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.
This six-week course will help learners develop their critical thinking skills to enable them to better identify reliable information in news reports and to become better informed about the world in which we live. The course will discuss the key elements of journalism from the viewpoint of the news audience.

The language of instruction is English, but Chinese and Spanish subtitles will be available. Each week will tackle a challenge unique to the digital era:

Week 1: The power of information is now in the hands of consumers.
Week 2: What makes journalism different from other types of information?
Week 3: Where can we find trustworthy information?
Week 4: How to tell what’s fair and what’s biased.
Week 5: How to apply news literacy concepts in real life.
Week 6: Meeting the challenges of digital citizenship.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

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Flexible deadlines

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Beginner Level

Approx. 15 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. 15 hours to complete

English

Subtitles: Chinese (Traditional), Chinese (Simplified), English, Spanish, Polish

Instructors

Instructor rating

5/5 (13 Ratings)

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

Content Rating96%(4,494 ratings)

Week

Week 1

3 hours to complete

Making sense of the news is more important than ever

3 hours to complete

5 videos (Total 21 min), 5 readings, 2 quizzes

5 videos

Why news literacy matters3m

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 Information30m

The responsibility of digital citizens30m

Week

Week 2

3 hours to complete

What is news and who decides?

3 hours to complete

5 videos (Total 23 min), 6 readings, 2 quizzes

5 videos

What makes journalism different2m

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?30m

What makes some information newsworthy?30m

Week

Week 3

3 hours to complete

Where can we find trustworthy information?

3 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 Journalism30m

Media bias, audience bias30m

Week

Week 4

2 hours to complete

Says who?

2 hours to complete

4 videos (Total 21 min), 4 readings, 2 quizzes

4 videos

How do we find fairness?5m

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 balance30m

Source evaluation30m

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Is financial aid available?
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Will I earn university credit for completing the Course?
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Making Sense of the News: News Literacy Lessons for Digital Citizens

Making Sense of the News: News Literacy Lessons for Digital Citizens