Teaching News Literacy in the Age of AI

World Press Freedom Day will be celebrated on May 3, 2026.  It's worth a look at new books related to this topic.  

TEACHING NEWS LITERACY IN THE AGE OF AI by Cathy Collins, an award-winning library media specialist, is an excellent resource. I wish that more schools made this topic (helping students to “recognize quality journalism, spot deepfakes, challenge misinformation, and critically analyze conspiracy theories”) a priority, but Collins has done a great job of compiling suggestions of resources (including multimedia tools and learning standards) related to these issues. A few examples (not all of which are free) include: Checkology (including several of their helpful posters); The News Literacy Project; ISTE (she extensively references their standards); PBS Learning Media; and Newsela. Some of her information is revealing, but from a decade ago and warrants updating, as do her references to Stanford History Education Group, now called Digital Inquiry Group. However, the more I read, the more excited and interested I became. It does take a while to get to the section on “Learning Activities,” but that is filled with ideas related to Social Studies, Science, Health, Mathematics and more. Also, this text could work well in a secondary newspaper class – an entire lesson could review the Code of Ethics for the Society of Professional Journalists or the eight factors (e.g., timeliness, proximity, interest, conflict) which Collins lists that “news organizations might use to evaluate whether to cover a particular event.” There are multiple Appendices, including a News Literacy Glossary. As Collins writes, “The future of informed citizenship is less about passively consuming information and much more about actively interrogating it. … Teaching them to question what they see, seek diverse viewpoints, and practice self-regulated attention is more important than ever.” 

THE INFORMATION STATE by Jacob Siegel (a contributing writer at Tablet, an American conservative magazine focused on Jewish news and culture) is subtitled “Politics in the Age of Total Control.” Siegel makes some thought-provoking claims such as when he explores the relationship between information and state power (“regime’s ultimate aim was not to censor or oppress, but to rule. … the information state refers to a form of government that replaces the democratic principle of consent with control”). However, I was very disappointed by his early comment when he wrote “I doubt that more than a few dozen people had been conversant in the finer points of the disinformation field at the start of 2016.” He only had to look at the critical thinking or information literacy (a term not included in his book) work being championed by librarians and educators at that time or the winner of that year’s National Business Book Award: A Field Guide to Lies by Daniel J. Levitin. In addition, Seigel seems to have a bias against President Obama and some of the actions taken by his administration; he certainly objects to attempts to even insinuate that Russia influenced the 2016 election while simultaneously rarely referencing the blatant and obvious lies from subsequent administrations. Overall, reviews are mixed: Booklist says, THE INFORMATION STATE “will challenge and enlighten readers on every page,” whereas Publishers Weekly describes it as a “hit-or-miss debut account.”

Hello, Cruel World! by Melinda Wenner Moyer

HELLO, CRUEL WORLD! by Melinda Wenner Moyer offers “Science-Based Strategies for Raising Terrific Kids in Terrifying Times.” In ten chapters Wenner Moyer, a contributing editor at Scientific American and a regular contributor to The New York Times, looks at Coping, Connecting, and Cultivating, all presented in a conversational, non-judgmental and helpful way. Adam Grant writes, “[Moyer’s] book is packed with evidence-based, nonobvious practical advice for nurturing resilience, kindness, critical thinking, and well-being.” I certainly saw the critical thinking aspect in the entire chapter devoted to Information Literacy which is full of ideas (including discussion prompts), plus some organizations (Thinking is Power, Reboot Foundation, etc.) that I did not know as well as skills (e.g., lateral reading) school librarians have been talking about for years. Other chapters cover self-compassion, resilience, self-control, relaxing, empathy, friendships, curiosity/inclusion, plus financial and information literacy and managing social media. HELLO, CRUEL WORLD! is a text which parents – and educators – should consult and discuss. At the end of each chapter there is a summary of key points, and the author also includes 300+ citations in a separate section. As Wenner Moyer says, much of her writing is about “being intentional about our choices and the kinds of conversations we have with our kids. … I implore you to take the advice that feels like it will be a good fit and leave the rest.”  

Erasing History by Jason Stanley

ERASING HISTORY by Jason Stanley is subtitled “How Fascists Rewrite the Past to Control the Future” and we have certainly heard the term fascist quite frequently in this election cycle. According to the publisher, Stanley, the Jacob Urowsky Professor of Philosophy at Yale University, “exposes the true danger of the authoritarian right’s attacks on education, identifies their key tactics and funders, and traces their intellectual roots.” Stanley points to the importance of multiple perspectives and says that “erasing history helps authoritarians because doing so allows them to represent it as a single story, a single perspective.” He is apparently not the only one to feel this way; one of the most chilling quotes is from Vladimir Putin: “Wars are won by teachers.” Stanley writes movingly and convincingly:

“Today we are unquestionably returning to something like the era of the Red Scare. Right-wing activists and politicians are targeting educators at all levels for their supposedly leftist ideologies, with the goal of suppressing any teaching that challenges racial hierarchy or patriarchy.”  And

“By removing the history of uprisings against the current status quo from the curriculum (or never allowing that history to be taught in the first place), authoritarians leave students with the impression that the status quo has never been -- and cannot be -- challenged.”

Student researchers will find much to ponder here, particularly about how education, knowledge, and critical thinking skills provide the foundation for democracy, agency, and self-rule. Unlike those who blame the “enemy within,” Stanley stresses the importance of educators and investigative journalists. Those concerned with the future of democracy will find this text to be very informative. Approximately fifteen percent of ERASING HISTORY is devoted to notes and an index.

Money, Power, Respect and Glass Walls - plus more

I just realized that August 26th is Women’s Equality Day which commemorates the 1920 certification of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, granting women the right to vote. Given that and the recent controversy resulting in suspension of the Spanish soccer coach, it seemed worth sharing a number of new books which deal with women’s sports or gender bias:

MONEY, POWER, RESPECT is a debut work by Macaela MacKenzie, a journalist most recently at Glamour. Here, she explores “How Women in Sports Are Shaping the Future of Feminism.” Looking first at Money, Mackenzie devotes a chapter each to the pay gap, to underinvestment in women’s sports and to the motherhood penalty. She argues forcefully that these issues occur across industries, but that the public nature of sports means that “the differences in resources are as obvious as the stadiums women play in and the uniforms on their backs, offer[ing] those trying to shortchange women fewer places to hide.” The section on Power has chapters dealing with a collective voice, changemakers, barriers, and recognizing your worth. Again, MacKenzie draws on a variety of instances including prejudiced comments by a former Japanese Prime Minister which resulted in his resignation. The final section, on Respect, contains chapters which deal with sexist images and language, how men feel threatened (e.g., citing data from Accenture and Girls Who Code regarding women in the tech industry), and the importance of visibility and media coverage for women. MacKenzie is adept at illustrating her points with real life cases and at drawing on academic research (like studies of media bias) to support her points. In an author’s note, MacKenzie indicates that she “interviewed dozens of athletes, academics, and activists;” she also lists additional sources in a formal Notes section that comprises roughly twenty percent of the text. MONEY, POWER, RESPECT appeared on several “must read” lists including ones from Time Magazine and the Next Big Idea Book Club.   

GLASS WALLS by Amy Diehl and Leanne M. Dzubinski discusses “Shattering the Six Gender Bias Barriers Still Holding Women Back at Work.” Before reading further take a moment and write down your thoughts on what those could be. Diehl, an information technology leader and gender equity researcher, and Dzubinski, an associate Biola University in California, label the barriers as male privilege, disproportionate constraints, insufficient support, devaluation, hostility, and acquiescence. How many did you name? The authors encourage readers to “reflect on how intensely you have been socialized into gender stereotypes that permeate society. And think about how that socialization may be affecting you, even unconsciously.” Diehl and Dzubinski give numerous examples (such as gatekeeping, tokenism, using derogatory language, or interrupting) and often provide specific details by quoting business women or faith leaders (an area where Dzubinski has done previous research). Pointing out that “identifying and exposing bias is the first step to eliminating it,” they also provide helpful, actionable strategies for leaders, allies, and self at the end of each section. Roughly a fourth of the text is devoted to Notes, Bibliography and Index. GLASS WALLS received a starred review from Booklist (“practicality and clarity make this a valuable contribution”). 

Looking for more reading ideas? McKinsey just posted “Ten Books by Women Authors in Honor of Women’s Equality Day.” Related titles we have reviewed include Invisible Women; Pay Up; When Women Lead; Up to Speed; Controlling Women; The No Club; and so many more.