✨ In early March, the growing NLP team gathered in Savannah, GA, for our annual staff retreat! 💡 After a few action-packed days, we departed with a stronger than ever resolve to bring news literacy to classrooms across the U.S. 👉🏾 Learn more about NLP & how to support this mission: newslit.org/

“What do you think is happening? What is this about?” 👆🏾 Questions Central Islip, NY, educator Alex Luciano asks about images to build #NewsLiteracy skills. Luciano teaches adult ESL & 2nd grade bilingual classes. Learn more about how he builds critical thinking skills across subjects ⤵️

"When students learn to think critically and search for credible information, they can engage in constructive dialogue and make independent decisions that shape their lives and strengthen their communities."

⤵️ This case & finding underscore what we covered in The Sift last week: 👀 Given its now well-documented addictive nature, could #SocialMedia be having a Big Tobacco moment? And will there be a wide cultural shift in how it's used? Read more: go.newslit.org/Sift16March2...

👀 A peek behind the scenes with our video producer Alexa. 🎞 Like the videos we share? Check out & subscribe to our YouTube channel, which features both long- & short-form content. 🔗 www.youtube.com/@newslitproj...

✔️ YES: This shows a line of cars at a gas station in Seville, Spain, as drivers anticipated a rise in fuel costs due to the Iran war. ❌ NO: It does not show long lines in the UK. 🤔 Sharing a real video or photo in a false context is a common tactic to spread misinfo. 🔗 go.newslit.org/GasStations

🖋️ We're excited to introduce the Inkwell Our community of monthly donors is building a deeper well of news literacy resources to help students write their own fact-based future. Monthly giving = consistent support that strengthens our reach. Join today: newslit.org/monthly-giving/

"Babe, they're AI." #Zendaya spoke out on @jimmykimmellive.bsky.social after people in her life were fooled by #AI images showing the actress & fellow actor Tom Holland in wedding attire. The fakes look convincing, but #NewsLiteracy skills can help you avoid being duped ⤵️

"Babe, they're AI." #Zendaya spoke out on @jimmykimmellive.bsky.social after people in her life were fooled by #AI images showing the actress & fellow actor Tom Holland in wedding attire. The fakes look convincing, but #NewsLiteracy skills can help you avoid being duped ⤵️

✨ Yes, it's Friday, but all the stories in our Monday newsletter remain relevant. So ICYMI: 1 - Separating fact from fiction during the Iran war 2 - Is social media having a Big Tobacco moment? 3 - Meet the Afghan woman risking her life to be a journalist The Sift: go.newslit.org/Sift16March2...

Online claims that this video shows Dubai's airport engulfed in flames after an Iranian strike are false. The footage shows a massive fire that scorched a market in Ajman, another UAE city, in 2020. factcheck.afp.com/doc.afp.com....

❌ NO: This is not an authentic X post from President Donald Trump. ✔️ It's impostor content. 💡 A false claim may seem true when it feels urgent, sensational or appears to confirm something that has people worried. 🔗 Read more: go.newslit.org/ImpostorPost #IranWar #MediaLiteracy

1/ This Women's History Month, learn the story of Nellie Bly - a pioneer in the field of investigative journalism. 🧵 See below for a look at how Bly took great risks to expose wrongdoing & hold the powerful accountable. #WomensHistoryMonth #NellieBly

"Another #MediaLiteracy trick that can help & doesn’t require a computer science degree: Examine the source pushing the video. "One of the Facebook pages that posted the video, Critter PD, says in its bio that it posts 'fictional content for a real cause.'" @poynterinstitute.bsky.social story ⤵️

"When there is breaking news, I lean into the skills we teach young people. I slow down, wait for the facts to unfold & check multiple, credible sources & resist reacting to the first headline or social media post I come across." Read more from Aji Bakare, NLP's Senior Major Gifts Officer, East 👇🏾

1/ I spoke with The New York Times for their new story on the “liar’s dividend” in times of war — the ability not to trick audiences with AI-generated content, but to dismiss real one as AI-generated.

Join us TODAY at 4pm CT, Minnesota educators! 🔗 Sign up for FREE: go.newslit.org/March18MN @startribune.com @threesixtyjour.bsky.social #EdTech

❌ NO: The crowd at President Donald Trump’s March 11 rally in Hebron, Kentucky, was not AI. ⚠️ One of the potential dangers of AI-generated content is that it makes it easier to doubt authentic videos & photos. 🔗 Read more on RumorGuard: go.newslit.org/TrumpCrowd

Misinformation about the #Iran war is spreading fast. To help separate fact from fiction, the team at @newslit.org created a Flipboard Magazine focused on credible information from sources like @apnews.com, @snopesguild.bsky.social, @leadstories.com and @nytimes.com. flipboard.com/@newslitproj...

❌ NO: The crowd at President Donald Trump’s March 11 rally in Hebron, Kentucky, was not AI. ⚠️ One of the potential dangers of AI-generated content is that it makes it easier to doubt authentic videos & photos. 🔗 Read more on RumorGuard: go.newslit.org/TrumpCrowd

Meet The Female Journalist Risking Her Life To Report On Women In Afghanistan

How a Philadelphia high school is fighting AI slop and internet lies: www.chalkbeat.org/philadelphia...

⚠️ From AI-generated content to coordinated disinformation campaigns, the Iran war is driving A LOT of falsehoods online. In this week's newsletter, we provide: - tips to separate fact from fiction - discussion question ideas - Daily Do Now slides + more 🔗 go.newslit.org/Sift16March2...

1/ This Women's History Month, learn the story of Nellie Bly - a pioneer in the field of investigative journalism. 🧵 See below for a look at how Bly took great risks to expose wrongdoing & hold the powerful accountable. #WomensHistoryMonth #NellieBly

🐵 The internet can’t get enough of #PunchTheMonkey, but not every clip you see online is authentic. Can you spot the AI-generated video in this episode of #2TruthsAndAI? Share your guess, and the clues that gave it away! 🎞 Watch: youtube.com/shorts/_A6yL...

A torrent of fake videos and images generated by A.I. have overrun social networks during the first weeks of the war in Iran, adding a chaotic and confusing layer to the conflict online.

🐵 The internet can’t get enough of #PunchTheMonkey, but not every clip you see online is authentic. Can you spot the AI-generated video in this episode of #2TruthsAndAI? Share your guess, and the clues that gave it away! 🎞 Watch: youtube.com/shorts/_A6yL...

1/ "I really like the Daily Do Now slides. We have a new elective this year called Contemporary Issues, & those questions & the examples provided have been a great way to get students to think more deeply about what comes across their feeds." - Wichita, KS, history teacher Kori Green #EdTech

This is one of the most important life skills we can possibly teach our children.

⚠️ AI overviews are easy to read & confident sounding. They can also be wrong or misleading. When you perform internet searches about the #Iran war, take a beat before trusting the AI responses & use a few #MediaLiteracy skills to stick to the facts. 🎞 Video: www.youtube.com/shorts/ykJGt...

❌ NO: These are not legit photos of U.S. troops being detained in #Iran after a failed military operation. ⚠️ They are #AI fakes & part of a flood of fabricated images & out-of-context claims circulating about the Iran war. 🔗 Read more on RumorGuard: go.newslit.org/AIsoldiers

THIS! A little behind the curve, but action vs inaction is crucial.

📢 The deadline to submit proposals for our National News Literacy Conference is April 3! 🔎 Proposals should focus on deepening participants’ understanding of news literacy & helping them teach it more effectively. 🔗 Details: go.newslit.org/cfpNLC ➕ Have you registered? newslit.org/conference/

🤯 Minnesota #educators: Are you unsure of how to help students navigate today's overwhelming info landscape? 💡 Learn how to bring #NewsLiteracy to your classroom & how to use our e-learning platform Checkology® by joining us for a FREE webinar on March 18. 🔗 Register: go.newslit.org/March18MN

“It opened my mind about how much is fake. I’m going to use caution with what I see on the internet — look deeper at what I see on my phone." - Jacob Hadley Hadley & other HS students in the Pittsburgh area took part in the Student Journalism Summit, learning from NLP's @peteradams.bsky.social

Le grand classique, plus que jamais important à l'heure de l'IA: vérifiez la source.

Alee Quick's @thequickness.bsky.social of @newslit.org overview on #news #media #bias "Would you say that news organizations try to minimize bias or intentionally add bias to their coverage?" #journalism

🚨 "In an era when misinformation travels faster than facts & algorithms reward outrage over accuracy, the future of journalism & civic trust hinges on what young people understand about news." Read more from this powerful piece about the urgent need for #MediaLiteracy 👇🏾

Context matters just as much as facts. Instead of just checking whether a claim is true, we should consider where it came from, how it’s framed, and what information might be missing. That kind of deeper thinking helps navigate a messy info environment with more clarity.

👀 "We can’t tell what’s AI & what’s not — now what?!" 👆🏾 A really important question that we answer in this month's family Q&A section of Scroll Smarter! ➕ Can the kids in your life tell the difference between news & content about news? Read & subscribe ⤵️

❌ NO: #Iran did not release a list of U.S. cities & military bases it is targeting for a retaliatory attack against the U.S. ✔️ A list of 15 possible sites in the U.S. vulnerable to nuclear attacks dates back to at least June 2025. 🔗 Read more on RumorGuard: go.newslit.org/IranUSCities

I was just thinking about this the other day... #sschat

1/ “I want every student to understand #MediaLiteracy, to know how to distinguish real news from misinformation, and to feel empowered to tell stories that matter.” - West Virginia student journalist of the year Hailey Hans Hans is part of Weir High School's award-winning student media program ⤵️

News vs Content about news

🔌 Happy global day of unplugging! Let this 24-hour event serve as a refreshing reminder that going outside & touching grass (or even snow) is often invigorating. 🍃 The internet & all its joys & pitfalls will be here when you return from the zen.

📰 What's a day in the life like for a journalist working for a community newspaper? In a new edition of "Spill the Ink," La Jolla Light reporter Noah Lyons takes us behind the scenes of writing, editing & laying out the weekly print publication that's part of the @sandiegouniontribune.com family ⤵️

A few quick tips that need to be automatic

"Trying to spot AI-generated content with the naked eye is basically a guessing game, even for seasoned reporters. It’s necessary to look at the source, evidence & surrounding context to identify these fabrications." - Dan Evon on takeaways from presenting #2TruthsAndAI at the Knight Media Forum

My AFP team is working around the clock, in 26 languages, to debunk misinformation about the war in the Middle East. Read fact-checks in: English: factcheck.afp.com/list/Iran-0 Arabic: factcheckarabic.afp.com/list/ayran-0 French: factuel.afp.com/list/Iran-0 Spanish: factual.afp.com/list/Iran-0

Educators: Can your students separate news from content about news? It's a distinction that matters, as NLP's @hannahcov.bsky.social explains in today's special edition of The Sift! Check out the newsletter for classroom slides on this topic + our new infographic 👇🏽