In today’s fast-paced digital world, where information bombards us from all sides, it’s easy to get caught up in the sensational and the immediate. We scroll through our feeds, consuming snippets of news, quotes, and images, often reacting emotionally without a second thought. But what happens when that seemingly impactful quote from a public figure turns out to be entirely fabricated? That moment of doubt, that tiny flicker of “wait a minute,” and the subsequent act of digging deeper to verify, that’s media literacy in action. And it’s a skill we all desperately need to hone. At Michigan State University, dedicated faculty and staff are stepping up to the plate, equipping students with the crucial tools to navigate this increasingly complex information environment, one shaped by the relentless currents of social media and the burgeoning power of artificial intelligence. They understand that in a world where a click can spread a lie faster than truth can tie its shoelaces, the ability to discern credible information from deceptive content isn’t just an academic pursuit – it’s a vital life skill.
Dustin Carnahan, an associate professor in Communication, frames media literacy as the innate ability to differentiate between information we can instinctively trust and information that demands a more thorough investigation. His research delves into the murky waters of misinformation and deepfakes – those incredibly convincing, AI-generated pieces of media designed to mislead. He explores how ordinary people interact with the political information landscape and how these interactions subtly, or sometimes not so subtly, shape their beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors. Carnahan isn’t alone in this endeavor; he’s part of a vibrant community of researchers at MSU dedicated to unraveling the complexities of misinformation and championing media literacy in our social media and AI-driven era. This critical research isn’t confined to academic journals; it seeps directly into MSU classrooms, with many undergraduate students participating in information literacy workshops led by MSU Libraries. These workshops are more than just lectures; they’re hands-on sessions where students learn to dissect sources, engage in critical thinking, and, crucially, understand their responsibility in using and sharing information. Through these initiatives, MSU is fostering the next generation of informed citizens, capable of confidently sifting through the digital deluge.
One of the foundational tenets of approaching information thoughtfully, as emphasized by Benjamin Oberdick, the head of information literacy at MSU Libraries, is to “trace ideas to their source.” Oberdick, who spearheads workshops in various foundational courses at MSU, teaches students not just to consume information but to interrogate it. His team’s mission is clear: to empower students to “find, access, use, evaluate and determine where information is coming from.” This isn’t just about identifying the author; it’s about understanding the entire ecosystem surrounding a piece of information. A key component of this interrogation is cultivating genuine curiosity. The information literacy team guides students through the library’s vast resources, helping them unearth scholarly articles and other robust sources. Oberdick advocates for a holistic approach, urging students to consider the “look and feel” of a source, its inherent credibility and accuracy, its origins, and the identity of the information provider. Simple but effective checks, like examining a website’s URL for suffixes like .gov, .org, or .edu, are taught as initial indicators of reliability. Beyond the URL, students learn to scrutinize personal blogs lacking transparent sourcing and to question claims unsupported by evidence like data or research. This inquiry-based learning environment encourages constant questioning and diligent searching, transforming students into active evaluators rather than passive recipients of information.
The advent of social media has ushered in what Maria D. Molina, an assistant professor in Advertising and Public Relations, describes as a “crisis of truth” and a “crisis of authorship.” Molina, whose research explores how technology shapes our social media sharing habits and our responses to AI-curated content, explains that we once had clear markers of credibility and authority in traditional media like newspapers and television. However, social media democratized content creation, making the traditional assessment of credibility a far more challenging endeavor. This challenge is further compounded by AI, which blurs the lines between what’s real and what’s not. “We’re not only trying to distinguish what’s fake, but also what’s AI-generated, because AI doesn’t necessarily mean it’s fake either,” Molina observes. This necessitates a fundamental re-evaluation of who the source is and whether they can be trusted. Echoing Oberdick’s advice, Molina strongly advocates for taking a step back from the immediate gratification of social media and seeking out non-social media sources, such as traditional news broadcasts or podcasts, to gain a more balanced and verified perspective. All three experts – Oberdick, Molina, and Carnahan – converge on a critical piece of advice for media literacy: slow down. If something feels off, if a piece of information triggers an unsettling feeling, that’s your cue to dig deeper, to resist the urge to immediately share or form a definitive opinion.
While skepticism is undeniably a crucial component of media literacy, Carnahan issues a cautionary note: not everything that sparks disagreement or dislike is “fake news.” He warns against the “slippery slope” of believing everything to be fabricated, as this can lead to an overarching cynicism that undermines our ability to discern any truth. Developing media literacy is an ongoing process that demands patience and sustained effort, especially in a news cycle that often feels like it’s spinning at warp speed. Oberdick suggests a quick litmus test: if a story is reported in only one place, it warrants further investigation. He encourages consulting fact-checking websites like Snopes.com as a reliable way to verify information. As AI-generated summaries become increasingly prevalent in online search results, Molina urges extreme caution, particularly given AI’s propensity to “hallucinate” information and sources. She advises clicking on the provided links in AI search results to independently verify the information, rather than blindly trusting the summary. The goal, Carnahan emphasizes, is to strike a delicate balance: to be wary and discerning, but not so skeptical that we become indifferent to truth itself. He worries that rampant misinformation could lead to a pervasive sense of apathy, where people simply give up on trying to find accurate information. Therefore, media literacy isn’t just about identifying falsehoods; it’s about actively pursuing and embracing verifiable truths.
Ultimately, in a world deluged with easily accessible misinformation, the most effective strategy is to pause before forming a conclusion. Taking that extra moment to confirm information is the cornerstone of improved media literacy. “It is important to employ a healthy level of skepticism and then verify,” Carnahan states, offering a succinct yet profound piece of advice for consuming media today. He clarifies that this skepticism shouldn’t morph into a wholesale disbelief of everything, but rather a recognition of “the ease with which we can manipulate things to look a certain way or to sound a certain way.” If this requires us to dedicate a little more time and mental effort to critically examining the information we encounter, then so be it. That brief moment of hesitation, that conscious decision to pause before reacting or sharing, can be the crucial difference between inadvertently amplifying misinformation and effectively spotting it. In a hyper-connected world, this deliberate slowdown isn’t a sign of weakness; it’s a testament to our commitment to a more informed, responsible, and ultimately, more truthful engagement with the information that shapes our lives.