How Media Literacy Can Help Save Democracy

A functioning democracy requires citizens to receive a basic level of knowledge about the world around them, but the modern media landscape makes this harder than ever. From distraction to disinformation, we face a host of challenges that threaten our society. As author David Foster Wallace wrote, “to really try to be informed and literate today is to feel stupid nearly all the time and to need help.” 

Today’s media consumer needs to be more competent than ever—from being able to spot hoaxes and fake news to understanding the technologies that have upended traditional media— in order for a self-governing society to flourish. Media literacy—the ability to access and analyze messages and their contexts—can help us learn to navigate life in the 21st century. As individuals, where should we focus our attention and how can we develop healthy media behaviors? As a society, how can we protect democracy from falsehoods and propaganda? How has our media system evolved over the past century and where do we go from here? 

Through the lens of media literacy, this talk examines the latest research and developments in news and journalism, social media and AI, human psychology and cognitive bias, media politics and economics, and more. Media literacy is ultimately about supporting the empowered and engaged citizens that democracy requires.