University of Central Lancashire pushes for stronger news literacy education in the UK

The University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) has released a policy brief to bolster news literacy education across the UK. This initiative comes in response to the growing concern over the spread of misinformation and its impact on communities.

Bringing experts together

Since May, UCLan's Media Innovation Studio has been gathering experts from various fields like media, policy, education, and civil society to figure out how to better equip the public with the tools they need to navigate today’s complex media landscape.

Now the university unveiled its findings in the form of a policy brief, titled Citizens and the News: Strategies for Securing News Literacy Education in the UK. The goal is to ensure a more informed and critically engaged public, which is essential in the fight against disinformation that has fueled unrest in parts of the country.

The policy brief is part of the larger News Futures 2035 project, an 18-month collaboration supported by the Google News Initiative and Research England. The project brought together more than 300 industry professionals, academics, and policymakers to brainstorm the future of trustworthy public-interest news in the UK.

Read more: Building a better future for public interest news

The need for a unified approach

Led by Dr. François Nel, along with colleagues from UCLan’s Media Innovation Studio, the team has developed a plan for strengthening news literacy education. Their approach focuses on three main strategies:

• Mandatory news literacy in schools: every student across the UK should receive formal news literacy education.
• Lifelong learning for all: educational programmes should extend beyond schools to reach underserved communities through lifelong learning initiatives.
• Collaboration through a News Literacy Forum: Coordinating efforts among different sectors through a dedicated forum, with support from a government minister focused on media and information literacy.

Nel emphasised that in today’s rapidly shifting media environment, the ability to distinguish between real and fake news is a crucial skill. "Our capacity to differentiate between fact and fiction is essential for a functioning democracy," he said.

The road ahead: News Futures Forum

The policy brief is just the beginning of the News Futures 2035 initiative. Moving forward, UCLan plans to launch the News Futures Forum, a space where stakeholders from different sectors can collaborate to secure the future of public-interest journalism.

"By working together across sectors, we can create a future where the public actively engages with trustworthy news sources," Nel said. "There’s no better time than now to act on news literacy education."

For those eager to read the full policy brief or get involved with the ongoing efforts, visit the Media Innovation Studio website. You can also fill out an interest form to stay updated on the progress of the News Futures Forum.

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