TOOLKIT

Want to learn more about the role of the press in our democracy? And about what you can do to support local journalism and news sources that work to inform us with transparency and accountability? Read our guidebook and other resources to deepen your understanding.

Our Media Literacy Guidebook

Georgia Humanities published How Journalists and the Public Shape Our Democracy: From Social Media and “Fake News” to Reporting Just the Facts in collaboration with the Atlanta Press Club and the University of Georgia Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication in the first phase of the Democracy and the Informed Citizen initiative.

This media literacy guidebook covers the following topics:

  • the importance of journalism in our democracy
  • the history of “fake news” and how it is legally allowed
  • opinion, bias, and leaks
  • native advertising
  • the internet and social media
  • the absence of local news
  • the public’s responsibility in an informed democracy

“The role and responsibility of reporters and news organizations is to be where citizens can’t always be and to tell stories that inform, entertain, and educate…. Done correctly, news stories can lead and have led to changes in laws, policies, and lives.”

– Monica Kaufman Pearson, retired WSB-TV Atlanta news anchor

Other Resources

New research and articles are regularly being published on the topics of media literacy and the state of local news. To Know Your News, it is important to stay on top of emerging trends and research. If you’ve recently come across a great article you think should be on this list, be sure to share that information through the Contact Us form.

Below you will find links to additional publications:

Downloadable Resources