News literacy sessions in Boston

The Journalism Education Association will present four instructional sessions on news literacy made possible by a grant from the Robert R. McCormick Foundation at the National High School Journalism Convention in Boston.

Building on the foundation’s definition, “To be news literate is to build knowledge, think critically, act civilly and participate in the democratic process,” Evelyn Lauer, an English and journalism teacher, at Niles West High School in Skokie, Ill., will present two sessions and host two forums on news literacy at the convention.

The first session, “Why news literacy matters,” will cover the fundamentals of news literacy and explain why — and how — it should/can be taught in journalism and English classrooms. Specific lesson plans and class activities will be presented.

The second session, “When breaking news breaks down: News literacy and social media,” will draw on examples from social media to discuss bias, misinformation, and the speed of news in a 24-7 world. It will focus on how to teach students to become active consumers of the news who engage and think critically.

Lauer will also lead two forums on news literacy where educators can get their questions answered about news literacy.

Lauer is the adviser of Niles West News, an online-only publication.