Media Literacy at Cronkite
Better information, stronger communities.
In a world saturated with data, where misinformation commands the stage alongside truthful and useful information, Cronkite School scholars and students focus on helping people better find, understand, act upon and create credible news and information, and to share it with integrity. An informed citizenry is a fundamental building block of democracy, so media literacy is the core of what we do.
A leader in media literacy and misinformation research, the Cronkite School is home to two critical initiatives: the News Co/Lab, which advances media literacy through journalism, education and technology, and the Media, Information, Data and Society (MIDAS) Lab, which explores disinformation, misinformation, dark web activities and incivility. Students in the school’s BA in Digital Media Literacy (the world’s first!) and undergraduate minor in Digital Media Literacy are preparing to be at the forefront of the important strategic and ethical issues related to digital media, including automation, verification, security and privacy; they use cutting-edge tools and tactics to analyze media, verify claims and interpret information to make decisions that benefit the larger society.
We also ensure our communities have the tools they need to understand media on their own: Take our free Mediactive course and explore how to assess claims and spot misinformation, or watch our YouTube Series, Study Hall: Data Literacy and make sense of the data you encounter every day.
Our work
News Co/Lab
The Co/Lab advances digital media literacy through journalism, education and technology.
Mediactive
Discover how media literacy principles can help you make sense of your digital media environment.
Study Hall: Data Literacy
Watch our YouTube series on how to use the data you encounter every day.
Related courses
MCO425: Digital Media Literacy I
MCO427: Misinformation and Society
MCO428: Digital Media and Freedom of Expression in the 21st Century
Drive community change
Society thrives on a healthy information diet. Explore academic programs that help you strengthen communities through verifying, creating and sharing accurate information.