Tag: Media

  • How Social Media Changed the Way We Communicate

    How Social Media Changed the Way We Communicate

    The Impact of Social Platforms on Higher Education Marketing

    There are currently more than 5.6 billion social media users worldwide, according to Statista. This means that about two-thirds of the world’s population uses some form of social media to communicate. 

    For many of us, using social media has become second nature. But the digital space has changed drastically since we saw the emergence of social media marketing in the early 2000s and beyond. So, too, should your social media marketing strategy, so that you can effectively reach your institution’s intended audience and make an impact when everyone else is trying to do the same.   

    While social media is a commonplace platform for communication today, have you ever considered how significantly social media has changed the way we communicate?

    4 Top Social Media Platforms Changing Communication

    Let’s take a look at what the most used social platforms have contributed to our new way of communication and how you can utilize them in your higher education marketing campaigns.

    1. Facebook

    Facebook is seen as the most predominant social media platform, and it has the numbers to back it up, with nearly 3.1 billion monthly users. While Meta’s Facebook still remains one of the top social media platforms since its conception, its audience demographics have shifted with the rise of Instagram and TikTok. With the dominating demographic now being women ages 25 to 34, Facebook is not the higher education marketing platform it once was. Not for traditional prospective and current students, anyway. 

    However, this platform can be effective for marketing flexible, online degree programs that target adult learners. It’s also a great avenue for communicating with alumni, recent graduates, and even parents of students.

    2. YouTube

    With nearly 2.6 billion monthly active users, YouTube was launched in 2005 and quickly grew to become one of the top social media platforms by 2010. 

    YouTube isn’t focused on generating content for short-term attention spans like other platforms. While Instagram, TikTok, and even Facebook primarily host short-form videos averaging 30 seconds to a minute long, YouTube’s premise is to expand on short-form content and host longer videos, such as how-tos, influencer lifestyle content, and vlogs, allowing viewers to form a more intimate connection with the content. 

    One of the main ways institutions utilize YouTube is with the rise of virtual campus tours, allowing potential students from anywhere to experience a university campus. This allows universities to expand their applicant pool by reaching potential students who may not be able to attend an in-person campus tour. 

    Take a look at a couple of examples of virtual campus tours from Clemson University and Cornell University, which have received 62,000 and 136,000 views, respectively:

    Clemson University

    Cornell University

    YouTube can also be a great place to highlight student success stories and testimonials.

    3. Instagram

    This Meta-owned social media platform has about 3 billion monthly users. In 2017, Instagram edged out Snapchat for one of the top spots among the most popular social media platforms. How? Instagram saw a gap in its algorithm where it wasn’t meeting younger audiences’ needs that Snapchat excelled at: catering to short attention spans. 

    In 2016, Instagram expanded on its platform offerings, including not only the ability to share photos in a timeline, but also launching a Stories feature. Similar to Snapchat, IG Stories gave users the ability to showcase shorter bursts of content that showcased the use of filters, stickers, and more, making the platform more interactive. With the launch of IG Reels in 2020, Instagram rounded out its offerings within the platform, giving users the ability to view and create short-form videos. 

    Since Instagram is most popular among a large younger demographic of users ages 18 to 34, Instagram is one of the number one tools higher ed marketers should be using to reach a wide variety of their university community, from prospective students to current students and young alumni.

    4. TikTok 

    TikTok has nearly 2 billion users. After its launch in 2018, TikTok quickly grew into one of the most popular social media platforms, surpassing X (formerly Twitter) and Snapchat and creating a new demand for short-form video across all platforms. 

    Primarily geared towards Gen Z and Millennial audiences, TikTok is a fast-paced, trend-focused app, making it one of the ideal platforms for marketing to university students. The original TikTok algorithm was unique compared to other social media platforms because it continually personalizes content to keep users engaged.

    How Did Social Media Change the Way We Communicate?

    Social media has changed how we communicate with one another in many ways. It has allowed us to share information in new ways, quickly gain global insights into worldwide news and trends, and forge new online communities of like-minded individuals.

    Fostered the Ability to Share 

    Since its launch in 2004, Facebook, one of the first ever social media platforms, has created a place to share anything from daily thoughts to groundbreaking ideas. This has continued to be the foundation of social media platforms that have followed in Facebook’s footsteps, from Snapchat to Instagram to TikTok. 

    Each of these platforms has expanded on the original foundation to add features such as stories, short-form video, and interactive filters. This further encouraged immediate, frequent sharing among participants and a sense of urgency around being an active social media user. This illustrates our first point: Social media has given audiences the opportunity to share and collaborate in real-time on a global scale. Over time, we shifted from passive consumers of information to active participants in content creation and distribution.

    In higher ed, this has greatly impacted how institutions communicate with prospective and current students, alumni, and other members of their wider community. Institutions have been given the opportunity to share with their communities in real time: Student successes are immediately celebrated, university news can be instantly delivered to a For You page (FYP) or timeline in a matter of seconds, and audiences can immediately communicate back. Social media has fostered this ability to share, allowing institutions to create stronger brand awareness and community engagement.    

    Provided Global Perspective

    This brings us to our second point: Social media has enabled people, brands, institutions, and organizations to come together in one common place, erasing traditional communication boundaries that once hindered our ability to connect. 

    Students in one part of the world can now explore what campus life looks like in another, simply by watching a TikTok tour, reading Instagram stories, or following a university ambassador on YouTube. These behind-the-scenes glimpses, often created by real students, offer an authentic, unfiltered perspective of life at institutions that might have otherwise been unreachable. 

    Faculty benefit from this reach too, using platforms like LinkedIn or X to share academic work, engage with global peers, and promote collaborative initiatives. Conferences, lectures, and panels can now be live-streamed or shared widely after the fact, broadening access to educational content for international audiences who may never set foot on campus.

    From a marketing standpoint, this global connectivity has changed the way institutions can position themselves and expand their offerings. Nearly two-thirds of institutions are exploring how to bring traditional on-campus programs online, utilizing the global reach driven by social media to appeal to nontraditional learners, including working parents and older adults. 

    Ultimately, the rise of social media has made it possible for institutions to extend their mission and messaging farther than ever before. 

    Encouraged Personal Connections 

    If you’re a social media user, you’ve likely experienced the benefits of how digital platforms have improved our overall communication. One of the most notable benefits is how platforms — from Facebook to LinkedIn and Instagram to TikTok — have given people the ability to connect on a personal level, whether it’s reconnecting with old friends, networking with new professional acquaintances, or sparking life-long friendships through comments, likes, and shares. 

    As social media has grown over the years, we’ve developed interest-based communities that allow us to communicate with like-minded individuals, sharing ideas and building a sense of belonging that might not be easily found in the “real world.” For nontraditional and online students, this can be life changing. 

    For institutions working towards appealing to this modern student demographic, utilizing these features can be beneficial in showcasing how nontraditional and online students can be part of the school’s community.

    The Challenge: Creating Bite-Size Messaging 

    With all of the ways social media has improved our communication, there are also some negative effects. One of which is particularly challenging for marketers: shortened attention spans. 

    The digital world moves quickly, and evidence has shown that the average attention span when looking at a screen has decreased from 2.5 minutes in 2004 to just 47 seconds in recent years. Many audience demographics, particularly younger generations, have become accustomed to “snackable” content. 

    Think about it: An average TikTok or Reel is 15 to 30 seconds long, Stories on Snapchat and Instagram disappear within 24 hours, and even static image carousels average only 3-5 slides. Because of this, marketers are left with less time to capture interest and low engagement on traditional content formats like text-only posts and longer videos.

    With social media being one of the most beneficial marketing tools in higher ed, it’s imperative that marketers learn to work with its fast-paced nature, not against it. We can do this by prioritizing visual content. Social media has made us into visual communicators: memes, gifs, short-form video, graphics, and more have begun to dominate our FYPs and timelines. 

    Shifting your strategy to prioritize content like eye-catching graphics and short-form video can push your content to the forefront of your audience’s feed and encourage higher engagement activity.   

    Improve Your Social Media Strategy With Archer 

    Looking to up your social media marketing game? Archer Education can help. We offer a variety of tech-enabled marketing, enrollment, and retention services, and our enrollment marketing team helps higher ed institutions with social media marketing, content creation, search engine optimization (SEO), academic thought leadership, and more. 

    Here at Archer, we partner with accredited universities to enable higher-ed leaders and marketers to accelerate their online program growth and enrollment. We believe that education is the great equalizer in our society, and we strive to help institutions make education more accessible for all adult learners. 

    If you’d like to learn more, contact our team and explore our offerings today. 

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  • Why Even Harvard’s Smartest Graduates Can’t Get a Job Now (Economy Media)

    Why Even Harvard’s Smartest Graduates Can’t Get a Job Now (Economy Media)

     

    Generation Z faces a challenging labor market as unemployment among recent graduates reached 8.6% in June 2025. Entry-level jobs often demand two to three years of experience, creating a catch-22 for young workers. Stagnant starting salaries, rising living costs, and student debt averaging $33,500 per borrower add economic pressure. Companies prioritize retaining staff, while tariffs, inflation, and hiring freezes limit new opportunities. Gig work and delayed financial independence are common, with only 29% of Gen Z workers feeling engaged. Long application processes, reduced internships, and intense competition further hinder career entry, creating widespread professional anxiety and underemployment.

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  • A week of media literacy across the globe

    A week of media literacy across the globe

    From 24 to 31 October, the world marks Global Media and Information Literacy Week, an annual event first launched by UNESCO in 2011 as a way for organizations around the world to share ideas and explore innovative ways to promote media and information literacy for all. This year’s theme is Minds Over AI — MIL in Digital Spaces. 

    To join in the global conversation, over the next week News Decoder will present a series of articles that look at media literacy in different ways.

    Today, we give you links to articles we’ve published over the past year on topics that range from fact-checking and information verification to the power of social media and the good and bad of artificial intelligence. 

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  • Act now: Condemn IU’s censorship of student media

    Act now: Condemn IU’s censorship of student media

    TAKE ACTION

    On October 14, Indiana University abruptly fired Director of Student Media Jim Rodenbush after he refused to enforce unconstitutional content restrictions on the student paper the Indiana Daily Student. The very next day, IU ordered IDS to halt print publication.

    This illustrates why IU ranked dead last among public universities — and third-to-last overall — in FIRE’s 2026 College Free Speech Rankings. Firing a student media adviser for refusing to censor a student newspaper, then banning print editions of that paper, sends a message that would chill even the most courageous young journalist: Cover stories we don’t like, and you’ll lose your ability to print — and your faculty support.

    What did the Indiana Daily Student do to provoke this reaction?

    They used their front page to attack IU’s track record on free speech, citing IU’s suspension of the Palestine Solidarity Committee and IU’s ranking as the worst public university in the nation for free speech. In the wake of these stories hitting newsstands, administrators summoned Rodenbush to a meeting to discuss “expectations” for what belongs in the paper. 

    IU’s Media School instructed the student paper to publish an edition exclusively devoted to homecoming flattery with “no other news at all.” When Rodenbush stood his ground, administrators then said they “lost trust” in his leadership — and immediately fired him.

    But public universities can’t order students to publish puff pieces. They can’t shut down newspapers for coverage that makes administrators uncomfortable. And they can’t fire advisers who refuse to play the censorship game. 

    Firing Rodenbush and banning the paper are textbook First Amendment violations that IU claims are part of a digital-first media strategy. But that’s a smokescreen. Cutting the print edition and removing a longtime adviser after critical coverage isn’t a strategy. It’s retaliation. And it’s illegal.

    IU is failing its students, its faculty, and the Constitution it is bound to uphold. FIRE is demanding that IU reverse the print ban, offer Rodensbush reinstatement, and make a public commitment to restore student press freedom on campus.

    Stand with us and tell IU President Pamela Whitten to end this censorship crusade.

     

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  • Act now: Condemn Indiana University’s censorship of student media

    Act now: Condemn Indiana University’s censorship of student media

    TAKE ACTION

    On Oct. 14, Indiana University abruptly fired Director of Student Media Jim Rodenbush after he refused to enforce unconstitutional content restrictions on the student paper the Indiana Daily Student. The very next day, IU ordered IDS to halt print publication.

    This illustrates why IU ranked dead last among public universities — and third-to-last overall — in FIRE’s 2026 College Free Speech Rankings. Firing a student media adviser for refusing to censor a student newspaper, then banning print editions of that paper, sends a message that would chill even the most courageous young journalist: Cover stories we don’t like, and you’ll lose your ability to print — and your faculty support.

    What did the Indiana Daily Student do to provoke this reaction?

    They used their front page to attack IU’s track record on free speech, citing IU’s suspension of the Palestine Solidarity Committee and IU’s ranking as the worst public university in the nation for free speech. In the wake of these stories hitting newsstands, administrators summoned Rodenbush to a meeting to discuss “expectations” for what belongs in the paper. 

    IU’s Media School instructed the student paper to publish an edition exclusively devoted to homecoming flattery with “no other news at all.” When Rodenbush stood his ground, administrators then said they “lost trust” in his leadership — and immediately fired him.

    But public universities can’t order students to publish puff pieces. They can’t shut down newspapers for coverage that makes administrators uncomfortable. And they can’t fire advisers who refuse to play the censorship game. 

    Firing Rodenbush and banning the paper are textbook First Amendment violations that IU claims are part of a digital-first media strategy. But that’s a smokescreen. Cutting the print edition and removing a longtime adviser after critical coverage isn’t a strategy. It’s retaliation. And it’s illegal.

    IU is failing its students, its faculty, and the Constitution it is bound to uphold. FIRE is demanding that IU reverse the print ban, offer Rodensbush reinstatement, and make a public commitment to restore student press freedom on campus.

    Stand with us and tell IU President Pamela Whitten to end this censorship crusade.

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  • How unis can do more on social media – Campus Review

    How unis can do more on social media – Campus Review

    Too many universities overlook the richness of the human stories that define them, relying instead on polished marketing campaigns and generic social media content to attract the next generation of students.

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  • How Social Media Shapes College Planning for Students

    How Social Media Shapes College Planning for Students

    Social media is a front door for student outreach.

    Let us be honest: College planning is not just about campus tours and glossy brochures anymore. These days, it is about late-night scrolling. It is about finding your future in a 15-second TikTok or watching a day-in-the-life dorm vlog on YouTube, possibly squeezed between a skateboarding dog and a viral dance challenge. And let us admit it, none of this is mindless. Students make real decisions right there in the middle of the scroll, about where they belong, who they want to be, and what opportunities are out there (Astleitner & Schlick, 2025).

    That is the story the 2025 E-Expectations Trend Report tells us. Social media is not a bonus channel for student outreach; it is the front door. In fact, 63% of students are on Instagram, but only 53% see college content there. That is a missed opportunity (RNL, Halda, & Modern Campus, 2025). Here is the twist: Colleges know social is powerful, too. The 2025 Marketing and Recruitment Practices Report for Undergraduate Students shows that enrollment teams rank social media, retargeted, and video ads among their most effective digital tactics. Still, when it comes time to pull out their wallets, colleges spend most of their spending on Instagram and Facebook, while TikTok and YouTube, where teenagers spend much of their time, are left underused (RNL, 2025).

    Social media is where the search begins

    The E-Expectations data shows that for 56% students, social media matters most when they start thinking about college. Before they ever request information or take a tour, they are watching you. They are searching for clues, hints, and maybe a sign that this could be their future home.

    We know they are asking themselves:

    • “Could I see myself there?”
    • “Do these students look like me?”
    • “Would I fit in?”

    This lines up with findings from the Pew Research Center (2024), which reports that over 90% of teenagers use social media every day, and platforms like Instagram and TikTok are where they are most active. More importantly, teenagers rely on these platforms for support in decision-making, including school decisions (American Student Assistance, 2021).

    For first-generation and underrepresented students, that early scroll matters even more. Social media often serves as their first “window in,” a way to explore campus life and build confidence before they ever reach out (Wohn, Ellison, Khan, Fewins-Bliss, & Gray, 2013; Brown, Pyle, & Ellison, 2022). Maybe they are wondering if the dining hall food is as good as those Instagram stories claim, or if the students in the videos hang out together.

    Your social media should say:

    “We see you. We want you to feel welcome before you even set foot on campus.”

    Yet, the 2025 Marketing Practices Report suggests that many institutions lead with brand identity campaigns, polished facilities videos, or rankings rather than authentic student stories that help them feel like they belong (RNL, 2025). Students are looking for belonging; colleges are still showing off prestige. That gap is where connections can get lost.

    What makes students follow?

    2025 E-Expectations Trend Report. Explore the online expectations, experiences, and behaviors of college-bound high school students2025 E-Expectations Trend Report. Explore the online expectations, experiences, and behaviors of college-bound high school students

    The E-Expectations data makes one thing clear: Students want more than glossy photos. They want real, raw, relevant content that speaks to their life and dreams.

    • 37% follow colleges for student life content.
    • 31% want “the lowdown” on how to apply.
    • 30% are all about content in their major

    That desire for honesty is backed up by research: High school students value user-generated content for authenticity but still expect official accounts to provide reliable information. The sweet spot is when both work together (Karadağ, Tosun, & Ayan, 2024). Emotional validation from peers does not just spark a like; it deepens their sense of connection (Brandão & Ramos, 2024). In other words, students are not just following but searching for a place where they feel understood.

    Not just where, but when

    The E-Expectations data details a crucial truth: Social media matters most when students start college planning. More than half (56%) are scrolling and watching before picking up a brochure or visiting a website. After that, social media’s influence drops steadily as they move through applications, visits, and acceptance. By the time they are accepted, only 21% say social media still plays a significant role (RNL, 2025).

    The Marketing Practices Report, however, shows that many colleges still dial up their social spend around yield campaigns (RNL, 2025). That timing mismatch means institutions may miss the critical “imagination phase” when students decide if a school even makes their list. We want to meet them at the beginning, not just at the finish line.

    Other research backs this up: Universities with consistent, active presences across platforms are far more likely to stay on students’ minds (Capriotti, Oliveira, & Carretón, 2024), and aligning posts with algorithmic sequencing ensures they see the content when it matters (Cingillioglu, Gal, & Prokhorov, 2024). We want to make sure we are in their feed when they need us the most, not just when institutions need them.

    Human connections start with digital ones

    Behind every follow, like, and story tap is a student looking for an exciting and safe future. Research on elite universities shows the highest engagement comes from Instagram content that blends professionalism with authenticity (Bonilla Quijada, Perea Muñoz, Corrons, & Olmo-Arriaga, 2022). Prospective students use social media to assess fit, culture, and belonging in admissions (Jones, 2023).

    When we lean into authentic stories on students’ platforms, we can transform social media from a megaphone into a welcome mat. The 2025 Marketing and Recruitment Practices Report shows that social ads are effective, but they work best when they align with the raw, real, and relevant content students say draws them in (RNL, 2025).

    This is what we should be doing

    Institutions should aim to do more than hope students do not scroll past. Encourage exploration, curiosity, and the search for stories that sound like their own. Teenagers are not interested in polished perfection alone; they are looking for something real that feels possible for them.

    You, as institutions, need to show up where students are. Meet them in their late-night scroll, not just in a campus brochure. Answer their questions about laundry machines and dining hall mysteries, as well as the questions about belonging and opportunity. When you share genuine stories and welcome every curiosity, no matter how unusual, you help students see themselves on your campuses.

    Our collective mission goes beyond applications and acceptance rates. We want students to find their people, place, and purpose. We care about more than numbers; we care about each student’s journey. Let us help them write the next chapter, not just enroll for the next semester.

    Be the reason a student stops scrolling and starts imagining a future with you!

    Students are already scrolling. The question is: Will they stop on your story? Get the data, benchmarks, and practical recommendations in the 2025 E-Expectations Report. The late-night scroll is real. Let’s make sure students find you there! Explore the 2025 E-Expectations Report for practical strategies to build authentic, high-impact connections with prospective students.

    Talk with our marketing and recruitment experts

    RNL works with colleges and universities across the country to ensure their marketing and recruitment efforts are optimized and aligned with how student search for colleges.  Reach out today for a complimentary consultation to discuss:

    • Student search strategies
    • Omnichannel communication campaigns
    • Personalization and engagement at scale

    Request now

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  • 10 examples of media literacy in action

    10 examples of media literacy in action

    These days, we see a hyper-focus on news literacy (or news media literacy), which is the aspect of media literacy that centers on analyzing journalism. While muckraking in politics and other such biased and editorial takes on the news are not new, the 24/7 firehose of content to be consumed across all media platforms is. And the good and the bad of it all is that anyone can be a content creator these days, but content or “news” is not necessarily unbiased, objective, or based on research.

    What is news literacy?

    News literacy is an aspect of media literacy that aims to teach news consumers to be thoughtful about the content they are seeking out, digesting, internalizing, and sharing, whether from online or more traditional media. Examples of news literacy can be woven across the curriculum, as news literacy consists of the critical thinking skills that help us determine fact from fiction, bias from fairness, and opinion from news.

    “​​Media literacy is critical to the survival and perpetuation of a healthy democracy.” 

    – Columnist Janice Ellis, Missouri Independent

    Why is news literacy important for students to learn?

    The evaluation skills core of news literacy helps readers determine the credibility, validity, and reliability of news sources and newer sources of information. Google research scientist Daniel Russell hypothesizes that students today can access a million times more content via the internet than earlier generations could at a university library. Thus, today’s readers need a much more dynamic and sophisticated set of reading skills when they are consuming and analyzing traditional and online media. In our 21st century digital landscape, students must learn to navigate raw information from countless sources. Examples of news literacy should be reinforced daily. These digital citizenship skills are foundational to maintaining a positive school culture. News media literacy skills are a crucial part of learning to read and write for today’s and tomorrow’s society.

    There are many ways to weave examples of news literacy into daily instruction in the classroom, especially when you take a cross-curricular approach. Seek out high quality resources that build foundational literacy skills, yet do so in a current and engaging way. Flocabulary leverages storytelling and emotional connections via hip-hop to make learning memorable. Flocabulary’s interdisciplinary lessons and activities challenge students to think creatively and critically when it comes to comprehension and vocabulary acquisition across K-12 subjects.

    New to Flocabulary? Teachers can sign up for a trial to access our lesson videos and assessment activities. Administrators can get in touch with us to learn more about unlocking the full power of Flocabulary through Flocabulary Plus.

    Teaching news literacy: 10 media literacy examples in action

    1. Understand the key terms

    It’s best to begin news literacy instruction by having students understand that news content and sources should be valid, credible, and reliable. But what do those key terms mean?

    • Valid: having a sound base in fact or logic
    • Credible: trustworthy and believable
    • Reliable: reputable and verifiable 

    Author Michael A. Caulfield of Web Literacy for Student Fact-Checkers advises that when it comes to determining if a news source represents fair and accurate coverage, you need to consider the following: (1) machinery of care, (2) transparency, (3) expertise, and (4) agenda.

    2. Seek out age-appropriate content

    While the copy in The New York Times ranks at a 10th-grade reading level, that doesn’t mean the content is appropriate or written for a 10th-grader. Making sure that kids and teens have access to developmentally appropriate content will quite simply help them understand what they are reading.

    Find recommended news sources for students of all ages from familiar sources like Time, The New York Times, Huffington Post, and Scholastic on Common Sense’s Best News Sources for Kids.

    Flocabulary’s Week in Rap is a robust and age-appropriate educational tool for instructing students about current events. This weekly video-based lesson provides a rapped summary of significant and relevant news stories of the week. Released every Friday, it keeps students informed about the latest happenings and offers teachers a platform to initiate discussions on crucial current events. The Week in Rap is for grades 6-12, and the Week in Rap Junior is for grades 3-5. These weekly videos are a student (and teacher) favorite!

    The Flocabulary team starts crafting these videos from scratch on Monday and completes them – including songs, videos, and associated lesson materials – by Friday morning for educators to access on Flocabulary.com. Learn more about how the Week in Rap is made.

    3. Cross-examine the news content

    Current events – whether political, regional, or pop – need to be vetted with a critical lens to equip students with the ability to participate in civic society in meaningful ways. Students need to be detectives of sorts, and they need to be equipped with news-literate strategies to decode what they are reading, from news to advertisements to propaganda. Misinformation or fake news can be insidious and lead to misunderstandings and unyielding perspectives. Media literate students understand that every source has a point of view, and media literacy examples need to be inquiry-based and should lead to constructive discourse.

    According to Project Look Sharp, all readers should ask themselves the following six questions. Use these questions to have your students cross-examine news content: 

    1. Who made this?
    2. Who is the target audience?
    3. Who paid for this? Or who gets paid if you click on this?
    4. Who might benefit or be harmed by this message?
    5. What is left out of this media message that might be important?
    6. Is this credible information (and what makes you think that)?

    4. Address clickbait headlines and misinformation

    The six questions above will help students better uncover the intention of said content. Too often, the content is designed to be a fabrication that is sticky and sensationalized to grab eyeballs and pique interest. Such clickbait helps content go viral, and we inadvertently become super-spreaders of misinformation, especially on social media, which can help earn advertiser dollars. However, this content can lead to confirmation bias, bolstered by details that are deceptive or even downright inaccurate.

    We all need to keep asking questions to push past our own preconceived notions and broaden our understanding and perspectives around the topic at hand. Make it a habit for students to consider those six questions when reading and analyzing traditional or online media, whether they are digesting morning news or diving deeper into researching a current or historical event.

    5. Teach how to evaluate website credibility and bias

    There are certain signs or signals that all consumers of information should look for when evaluating online news sources. There are hallmark indicators that a site may not be as valid, credible, or reliable as we’d assume. We all should check if the site comes from reputable and accessible creators, the site itself is professional and polished, and the content is framed objectively and unbiased. 

    Teach students how to take a quick inventory of a site’s homepage in order to evaluate the quality of content, from the top to the bottom:

    • Begin with the URL – is it secure (HTTPS)? Is it a .org, .edu, or .gov URL?
    • Who owns the domain?
    • Scroll down to the About Us page and judge how robust it is or isn’t.
    • Can you find the source’s contact information easily enough?
    • Analyze the layout and design. 
    • Are there source links and citations?
    • Are there typos or grammatical errors?
    • Analyze the language used: How inflammatory is the language? 
    • What is the tone of the headline? How is information framed? 

    All these signs can help determine if the content shared has a bias, whether implicit or overt. As an educator, you can use sites like FactCheck.org and Snopes.com to fact-check the details of any questionable content. Then, teach students to similarly cross-reference information to make sure that they are getting the full picture.

    Flocabulary’s Source Evaluation video-based lesson provides students with tips on how to assess website credibility and bias, incorporating important vocabulary words that enhance their understanding. It aligns with today’s digital age and empowers students to make informed decisions in a technology-driven society, making it a valuable resource when teaching students about media literacy evaluation skills and information literacy.

    Source Evaluation video lesson
    Source Evaluation video lesson Vocab Cards

    6. Teach smart searching strategies

    A core digital literacy skill to teach students that is fundamental to news literacy is smart searching. There are tried-and-true search strategies to help serve up content beyond what is targeted toward you, the reader, or tracked from your past searches. Emphasize to students that when searching for what you need, you often have to filter out what you don’t need. Teach them how to use quotation marks to search for exact phrases, use Boolean operators (“and”/”or”) to combine terms, and narrow the time frame as well as the type of sources. Highlight that when you get the page of search results, you should look for the results that are not sponsored, those that come from sources you recognize, or those that are well-vetted and reviewed. Challenge your students to work backward to find the original source.

    7. Try lateral reading

    Lateral reading – championed by Sam Wineburg and the Stanford History Education Group (SHEG) – is when you approach fact-checking by reading more broadly about a subject versus more deeply on a subject. By searching for other articles on the same topic, you can help confirm or negate an author’s credibility as well as his/her intent and biases. Those who engage in lateral reading often have multiple tabs open, creating a network of fact-checking across various websites before going back to the original article or page to read more thoroughly.

    By teaching your students the concept of lateral reading, they will become more adept at cross-checking information from a variety of sources versus relying on just one. They will become more robust researchers and informed critical thinkers as they continue to dive into newsworthy events.

    “Lateral reading helps the reader understand both the perspective from which the site’s analyses come and if the site has an editorial process or expert reputation that would allow one to accept the truth of a site’s facts.”

    – Web Literacy for Student Fact-Checkers

    8. Stay on top of current events

    As with any muscle, it is important for students (and readers of all ages) to exercise how they read the news stories around current events and practice their detective decoding skills. Weave current events into your teaching to help students develop a real-world perspective on issues and better understand how their studies apply to life outside the school’s walls. Illustrate how news can report differently on the same topic. Use All Sides’ Media Bias Chart to show how a narrative can be skewed by who is reporting and why.

    Use the Week in Rap lesson videos every Friday to have students stay on top of current events. Assign students the lesson so they can go through each activity and assessment accompanied by the video. While watching the video, turn on the Discuss Mode to prompt discussion questions for the class.

    Week in Rap lesson sequence
    Week in Rap Discuss Mode

    9. Talk about fake news often

    Realizing how prevalent fake news is is half the battle. As with most literacy skills, repetition is key! Share key messages over and over in the classroom so that these healthy habits of mind become a given when students seek out reliable news. Frame lessons around spotting fake news or misinformation in articles. Send home resources that engage the whole family, from information videos to quizzes, so they all can help one another not become super-spreaders of misinformation or fake news online.

    Fake News video lesson

    Flocabulary’s Fake News video-based lesson helps teach students about the pressing issue of fake news. This lesson explores what fake news is, how it spreads, and how to discern its accuracy. It equips students with practical skills for identifying fake news, encourages critical thinking about personal biases, and fosters media literacy.

    Here are some additional resources teachers can use or share:

    10. Continue to teach these skills year-round with reliable educational resources

    Celebrate U.S. Media Literacy Week (October 23-27, 2023) and News Literacy Week (end of January each year) not as a one-and-done annual event but as a way to emphasize just how critical these skills are. Underscore the growing need around the importance of media literacy education, especially during times of political races, global strife, and national emergencies. Play devil’s advocate in your questioning to encourage readers to consider all sides and all perspectives as they gather facts. When students become skilled in this, they can critically evaluate information, which is essential for keeping society as well-informed as possible

    Lean on trustworthy organizations that produce educational resources around news media literacy examples for students, families, and educators. With an ever-changing tech landscape, it is crucial that we all be diligent students to learn how to dissect and digest the latest and greatest information shared in our dynamic, always-on multimedia world.

    Here are some more resources:

    Start teaching about news literacy with Flocabulary

    As readers and as good digital citizens, the burden falls on each of us 24/7 to use our critical thinking skills when digesting media information. Whether you teach elementary, middle, or high school, educators can help teach students these mindsets to employ on their own when browsing social media, paging through newspapers, or watching nightly reports. Similarly, they can use the same critical lens when receiving articles or news sites from others or when planning to send out information to others. By honing these skills, students develop the confidence and ability to participate in important conversations and decisions that impact their communities.

    New to Flocabulary? Teachers can sign up for a trial to access our lesson videos and assessment activities. Administrators can get in touch with us to learn more about unlocking the full power of Flocabulary through Flocabulary Plus.

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  • VICTORY: Colorado repeals restrictive media policy

    VICTORY: Colorado repeals restrictive media policy

    Credentialed media at the University of Colorado are once again free to share simulations of game footage. The university has removed a provision from its media policy that barred outlets from sharing “[s]imulated video or slideshows mimicking game action.”

    As FIRE wrote in our letter to CU, the policy impermissibly restrained journalists from choosing to use “‘simulated game action’ or a slideshow to display game data.” That kind of choice is exactly the sort of editorial decision the First Amendment requires be left to journalists, not the government. 

    Conditioning credentials on this unconstitutional requirement restricted the First Amendment freedoms of journalists miles away from the field, court, or swimming pool. While universities can sell exclusive broadcasting rights to their sporting events, they can’t dictate how media members report on what happened in an athletic competition.. 

    Our letter called on CU to repeal the policy. Thankfully, it did.

    This welcome change comes as a direct result of that letter. In his reply, Athletic Director Rick George acknowledged that the university’s policy was far broader than administrators had first realized. He also affirmed CU’s strong commitment to free expression and committed to repealing the policy, which went well beyond the university’s obligations as a member of the Big 12 Conference and signatory to the conference’s media rights deal.

    CU’s response here is exactly what universities should do when their policies fall short of their First Amendment obligations: acknowledge the problem, commit to protecting expression, and promptly fix the issue. And it’s surely part of the reason the university is ranked fifth in FIRE’s College Free Speech Rankings, with a majority of students saying CU is at least somewhat clear that the administration protects free speech on campus.

    FIRE’s Student Press Freedom Initiative is pleased to see CU put the free press over profits. Other universities should take a page from the Buffaloes’ book.

    FIRE defends the rights of students and faculty members — no matter their views — at public and private universities and colleges in the United States. If you are a student or a faculty member facing investigation or punishment for your speech, submit your case to FIRE today. If you’re a college journalist facing censorship or a media law question, call the Student Press Freedom Initiative 24-hour hotline at 717-734-SPFI (7734). If you’re faculty member at a public college or university, call the Faculty Legal Defense Fund 24-hour hotline at 254-500-FLDF (3533).



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  • LAVC Media Arts Faculty Stripped of Administrative Roles Amid Fraud Scandal (LACCD Whistleblower)

    LAVC Media Arts Faculty Stripped of Administrative Roles Amid Fraud Scandal (LACCD Whistleblower)

    Faculty members in the Los Angeles Valley College (LAVC) Media Arts Department implicated in decades of fraud and misconduct have been removed from administrative positions, though they remain in teaching roles.

    Over the summer, longtime department head Eric Swelstad, who had led Media Arts since 2008, was replaced as chair by Chad Sustin, a full-time professor of Cinema and Media Arts. The change followed a notification from the LACCD Whistleblower Movement to new Chancellor Alberto J. Roman, alleging that Swelstad falsely claimed membership in the Writers Guild of America – West for more than 20 years and used this misrepresentation in official LACCD promotional materials.

    Sustin, a tenured faculty member since 2016 and a former Technicolor post-producer, now leads the department.

    The reshuffling comes amid years of internal turmoil. In 2022, full-time cinema professor Arantxa Rodriguez resigned and was replaced by Jonathan Burnett as assistant professor. Rodriguez had previously been implicated in department infighting and, alongside Swelstad, was named as a co-defendant in a 2008 case alleging failure to provide advertised technical training and education. Burnett’s hiring bypassed longtime adjunct and former grant director Dan Watanabe.

    Watanabe previously administered several Media Arts training grants, the last of which—ICT & Digital Media, LA RDSN—was reported as fraudulent in 2016. The 2013 grant proposal promised courses such as The Business of Entertainment, Advanced Digital Editing, Photoshop, and After Effects. Yet once funding was approved, The Business of Entertainment and Advanced Digital Editing were archived by LAVC’s Academic Curriculum Committee and Senate. Photoshop and After Effects were offered only minimally, with After Effects disappearing after 2015 and Photoshop shifting to online-only by 2017.

    Students reported the suspected fraud to the State of California in 2016, prompting a review of the grant. Renewal applications submitted by Watanabe in 2018 and 2021 were both denied.

    Grant Record (Denied Renewal, 2018):

    • Project Title: ICT & Digital Media – LA RDSN (Renewal)

    • Funding Agency: CCCCO EWD

    • Grant Amount: $165,000

    • Funding Period: Oct. 1, 2018 – June 30, 2019

    • Project Director: Dan Watanabe

    • Description: Proposed renewal of the Deputy Sector Navigator grant under the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office, focused on curriculum development and alignment with universities and K–12 schools.

    https://services.laccd.edu/districtsite/Accreditation/lavc/Standard%20IVA/IVA1-02_Grants_History.pdf

    Despite this, Watanabe (who was also passed over for a full-time position at Los Angeles Pierce College) remains an adjunct faculty member slated to teach Cinema 111, Developing Movies – a field he reportedly last worked in twenty years ago. Arantxa Rodriguez and Eric Swelstad have both been scheduled to teach Fall 2025. Despite falsifying his credentials as a member of the Writer’s Guild of America – West, and implying he was a Primetime Emmy Winner (he in fact was the director of a movie that received a local Los Angeles Emmy in the 1990s), he is slated to teach Cinema 101 and screenwriting core class Media Arts 129. Rodriguez will a remote History of Film Class. 

    Reportedly the new full-time faculty in the department have started working to reverse the damage. Fall 2025 schedule includes Media Arts 112, Creative Sound Design Workshop. 

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