Media Literacy

Awareness & Understanding

You are surrounded by more information than any generation in history — news articles, social media posts, videos, podcasts, and ads all compete for your attention every day. This step is about waking up to that reality. Start by spending one day paying close attention to where information comes from. Notice when you see a headline — who published it? When someone shares a "fact" online, ask yourself how they know. Visit the NewsGuard browser rating system (free at newsguardtech.com) and the Utah State Library's Media Literacy resources to see what tools already exist. You do not need to judge anything yet. Just observe. You are ready for the next step when you can name three different types of sources you encountered today and explain why the source matters.

Research & Investigation

Now you dig deeper. Pick one news story that interests you — something local works great, like a Salt Lake City Council decision or a Utah Legislature bill. Find that same story covered by at least four different outlets. Try KSL, the Salt Lake Tribune, a national paper, and one independent or opinion site. Use AllSides.com (free) to see how outlets lean politically, and check each article on PolitiFact or Snopes to see if specific claims have been fact-checked. Write down what each source emphasized, what it left out, and whose voice was included. This is called lateral reading — the same strategy professional fact-checkers use. You are ready for the next step when you can identify at least two factual differences or omissions across your four sources.

Planning & Preparation

You have observed and investigated — now you plan how to share what you have learned. Choose a format that fits your audience: a checklist, a short video, a classroom lesson, or a social media carousel. Outline your key points using the SIFT method (Stop, Investigate the source, Find better coverage, Trace claims) — all free at getbadnews.com and Mike Caulfield's open resource Web Literacy for Student Fact-Checkers. Think about who in your school or neighborhood most needs this skill. Draft a one-page plan including your audience, your format, and the three most important ideas you want people to walk away with. Share your draft with one trusted adult for feedback. You are ready for the next step when you have a written plan with audience, format, and three key messages identified.

Taking Action

It is time to create and share. Build the resource you planned — a lesson, a checklist, a video, or a presentation. Use free tools like Google Slides, Canva (free tier), or a simple printed handout. If you are in school, ask a teacher if you can present to a class or club. If you are in a community setting, consider your local Salt Lake County Library branch — many branches welcome youth-led programs. When you deliver it, watch how people react. Do they have questions you did not expect? Do they push back? That is good information. Take notes on what landed and what confused people. You are ready for the next step when you have shared your resource with at least one audience outside your immediate family and collected feedback from at least three people.

Leadership & Expansion

Now you move from doing to leading. Recruit at least two other people — classmates, neighbors, or friends — to learn alongside you. Run a short "fact-check challenge" together: each person finds a viral claim, investigates it using lateral reading, and shares their findings with the group. Use the free game Factitious (factitious.augmentedminds.com) as a warm-up activity. Consider connecting with Utah Media Observer or a local journalism teacher who might want to partner. Document what your group learns and how their thinking shifts from session one to session two. Leadership here means creating conditions for others to think critically, not just telling them what to believe. You are ready for the next step when you have led at least two group sessions and can describe how participants' source evaluation improved.

Impact & Reflection

Look back at everything you have built. Gather your notes, your resource, your group feedback, and your own reflections. Write a one-to-two page reflection that answers three questions: What changed in how you personally evaluate information? What worked in your teaching or sharing, and what would you do differently? What is one thing about media literacy that your community still needs? Consider submitting your reflection or your resource to your school newspaper, a local blog, or Utah Civic Learning's student showcase. Share your checklist or lesson plan openly — post it where others can find and use it. Your work here does not stop when the quest ends. You are ready for the next step when you have a written reflection and at least one piece of your work published or shared publicly beyond your immediate group.