Trust in journalism is at record lows. Increasingly trapped in filter bubbles, individuals often rely on the news not to inform them, but to justify what they already believe. The nation is mired in an at-times surreal debate about the very nature of facts, and whether demonstrable truths still matter in our national discourse. Meanwhile, a Russian disinformation campaign reached more than 126 million Americans through Facebook posts — and millions more through ads on Facebook and other social media platforms.

All of this is eroding the informational underpinnings of the country’s democracy. As New York Times columnist Timothy Egan noted in November, “Too many Americans are ill equipped to perform the basic functions of citizenship.”

News literacy is one response to this rising tide of confusion, polarization and distrust. It is a proven way to give today’s students the tools to know what news and information to trust, share and act on and to become informed, engaged participants in civic life. Alan Miller, a Pulitzer Prize-winning former investigative reporter and one of the founders of the news literacy movement, addresses the imperative — and the promise — of this emerging field.

Biographical note

Alan C. Miller, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, is the founder and CEO of the News Literacy Project. He was a reporter with the Los Angeles Times for 21 years before leaving the paper in March 2008 to establish the project.

He spent nearly 19 years in the paper’s Washington bureau, the last 14 as a charter member of its high-profile investigative team. His work prompted investigations by the Justice Department, Congress and inspector generals in federal agencies and led to congressional hearings, reforms and criminal convictions.