As a society, we are dealt with the shared responsibility of bearing the weight of the misinformation problem. Theoretically, it is reasonable to assume that each individual should learn to handle it on their own. Meaning, each person should be responsible for the way they consume and share information. However, this thinking is not realistic. In a country that seems to be defined by disparity, it isn’t fair to expect everybody to have the capacity to gain media literacy; especially when we consider how many people haven’t had an opportunity to gain literacy in their native language. That being said, I would like to assert that it is the responsibility of the government to regulate the way information is spread. However, I make his proclamation with a heavy load of apprehension.
Involving the government in the way media shares information could be problematic for several reasons. The First Amendment ensures freedom of the press, making the mass spread of information an inseparable piece of the American democracy. Although there are already exceptions to this amendment, misinformation is not one of them. This is reasonable because putting the government in charge of misinformation would mean that the government has the final say in the “truth” society is given. If our government is the final institution involved in determining what is true, then the press would not be free to exist as a buffer between people and government. The truth we are given could be limited and edited in whichever way our leaders want, which would not be an ideal way to properly inform the people who ultimately vote for them.
With this in mind, I think that the best way to address the misinformation problem is to start with younger generations. Media literacy could be implemented as a part of K-12 curriculum, just as other courses, such as typing and computer classes, have been implemented with advancements of technology. At a post-secondary level, media literacy could be included in General Education requirements. In my state of California, several community colleges (including the one I work at!) have begun to offer free courses for local residents. Ideally, community colleges could also offer media literacy courses at no-cost to local residents. This would give people of all ages an opportunity to become aware of the misinformation problem, and learn how to responsibly consume and share information.
The goal in attacking this issue is to gain enough media literacy as a country, so that misinformation loses its value in discourse and is ultimately eradicated. However, this is also not realistic. A more realistic goal is to have gain enough media literacy as a country, so that each individual is at least aware of it.
Overall, the concept of media literacy needs to migrate from academic environments to everyday living. In the same way Schoolhouse Rock’s “I’m Just A Bill” is embedded in the brains of Gen-X’ers and Millennials, regardless of our knowledge or interest in political science, children today could be having their brains imprinted with catchy tunes that introduce them to the concepts of media literacy and misinformation:
“I’m just a meme. Yes; I’m just a meme, and I might not be quite what I seem.” (If you didn’t automatically sing that line, or at least know how it should be sung, I’m sorry for your loss)
Anyway, Schoolhouse Rock is an example of how the idea of understanding the inner workings of our democracy has been normalized for young children. These educational pieces of media, incorporated into everyday life, should be funded by the government and recreated for relevance. In addressing the misinformation problem, the best thing we can do for future generations is to help them also understand its inner workings. If the First Amendment is truly meant to give Americans the opportunity to gain the knowledge required to responsibly participate in government, we must ensure that future voters are capable of discerning fact from fiction. As a country, we have faced many threats, but unless individuals are willing to accept the responsibility finding the truth, misinformation will persist and prevail. We must not let it.
Wandering Woman 