MediaWise for Gen Z
Misinformation is everywhere. More than half of Americans admit to sharing made-up news online. Most of them didn’t know it was fake when they shared it.
While digitally savvy teens have grown up on the internet, research from Stanford History Education Group shows that the vast majority of teenagers have trouble navigating digital information — from viral hoaxes on Instagram to sponsored content on news sites. Especially during a pandemic, this issue has real-world consequences.
MediaWise is teaching teens to be critical media consumers and make decisions based on facts. Dozens of teens work with us virtually from across America to fact-check content online as members of the MediaWise Teen Fact-Checking Network (TFCN), one of the central components to the MediaWise program.
How can you get involved?
For everyone:
Follow us on social media! Instagram. Twitter. Facebook. YouTube. TikTok. Send us claims to fact-check. Use the hashtag #IsThisLegit to flag us on claims you want helping checking out online. Feel free to message us directly, too — @MediaWise across social.
For teens:
Join the Teen Fact-Checking Network! Visit the MediaWise Twitter or Instagram to find out whether applications are open. You’ll learn how to create original fact-checking videos for Instagram and help us teach MediaWise tips along the way. If you’re in middle school or high school in the United States, contact the team at mwtips@poynter.org.
For educators:
Want to bring MediaWise to your school for a training event? Email us with your specific request at mwtips@poynter.org to get connected.
For journalists:
Interested in covering MediaWise? Email us at mwtips@poynter.org.
(Read our editorial standards here)
MediaWise is a nonprofit, nonpartisan project of the Poynter Institute. It is made possible thanks to grant funding and charitable donations by:
* Poynter’s partnership with Stanford History Education Group concludes in June, 2020.