Media Literacy and Misinformation

An authoritative and evenhanded resource for understanding media literacy, disinformation, and misinformation in America, including the impacts of social media, political polarization, partisan news outlets, civics education, and corporate consolidation of news media. How has the rise of partisan and ideologically oriented news media exacerbated the problem of misinformation and disinformation in American society? How are social media platforms making it more difficult to increase media literacy and civic knowledge? Why have reliable sources of local news and information become more scarce in both rural and urban areas? Where did the term "fake news" originate and how has its meaning changed over time? Media Literacy and Misinformation answers these and many other important questions. With sections devoted to exploring the foundational building blocks of media literacy, the problematic ways in which news spreads on social media platforms and other online media, the impact of algorithms and artificial intelligence (AI), the rise in government censorship and intimidation of journalists and news organizations, and the media consumption patterns of Americans with both high and low levels of civic knowledge, this book provides readers with an impartial, one-stop resource for understanding one of the most vital issues of the 21st century.