Media Literacy for a Young World

This May, Soman Chainani returns to the scene with his first original novel in over ten years. Young World, published by Penguin Random House, is a political thriller set in the not too distant future where countries around the globe are on the brink of collapse. Chainani blurs the lines between fact and fiction on and off the page to make us all think: Wait, is this really happening?

In recent conversations with book professionals in my neighborhood, the question surrounding Young World’s release is often, “How do we market this?” It’s a question I have spent a number of weeks ruminating on, wondering why this question is at the forefront of everyone’s mind. Is it that Chainani’s other books were marketed for middle grades and this is his first foray into YA literature? Is it that this book toes the line of what we, as adults, think is acceptable for teen readers? Or is it, perhaps, that we don’t feel youth have the skills to discern what is real and what is fake after reading this title?

Fact vs. Fiction

To market this book, Chainani and PRH have created a website to highlight the revolution that occurs within its pages. However, the lines start to blur when site visitors investigate the articles that Chainani highlights from across the globe. Some are real articles that you can research and find more information on, and others are excerpts straight from the novel. How do we teach readers to differentiate between the two? That’s where media literacy comes in. 

Media Literacy

As New York State highlights in their “Media Literacy” toolkit for educators, “The purpose of media literacy education is not to teach people what to think. It is designed to facilitate an understanding of media and its role, as well as develop the skillset necessary to become ‘critical thinkers, thoughtful and effective communicators, and informed and responsible members of society.’” As librarians, helping to instill these skills into readers is a vital part of our roles, especially as it relates to research. This could be through direct action such as programs, but it can also be through more passive means such as providing resources and information on an as-needed basis. For many librarians, the question then becomes: where do I go for trusted resources?

Trusted Resources

The resources below can assist information professionals in supporting readers, patrons, and consumers as they navigate the ever evolving digital world.

NewseumEd: Fact Finder – Navigate the media map to develop skills in navigating the news, bypassing bias, and searching effectively in the endless digital landscape.

Get Bad News – An online game, created by Tilt, where players leverage fake news strategies to gain followers and control the information universe.

Media Literacy Crash Course – Set of eleven short videos from The Crash Course on YouTube that introduces media literacy, its history, and skills to evaluate media critically. 

National Association for Media Literacy Education: Resources – The NAMLE’s collection of resources for consumers designed to cultivate the skills to analyze and evaluate media.

Information Literacy Toolkit: LibGuide from the University of Maryland Libraries that contains resources for educators and librarians on media literacy, misinformation, and more. 

Call to Action

In our vast online universe, discerning what is true and what isn’t is increasingly challenging. Thankfully, this selection of resources is just a sliver of the many available to librarians and other information professionals to educate readers about media literacy. Sharing these resources, or others of high-quality, is a great first step to bringing this topic to your community, however it is just that: a first step. There are many additional ways to further learning and instruction within our institutions and to help people become critical thinkers. If you’re interested in developing further ideas around this topic, the questions below can help guide you on that road.

• How can you use these resources in your library?
• What programs, events, or lessons can you offer to highlight the need for critical thinking when consuming media?
• How can literature for children and teens be used to facilitate discussions about media literacy?

Featured image a screenshot from revoltingyouth.org by blogger.

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This post addresses ALSC Core Competencies 2.2, 2.4, 2.7, and 4.5

Annaliese Melvin (she/they) is a children’s librarian at a neighborhood library in Washington, D.C. Originally from Pennsylvania, she moved to the DC-area in 2020 to become a special education teacher after graduating with her bachelor’s from Arcadia University. In 2023, she graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi with a master’s degree in Library and Information Science and transitioned into the library field. Annaliese currently works to bring more inclusive programming to DC Public Libraries for children of all ages. She is passionate about equity, inclusion, reading, and Philadelphia sports.