With the signing of a bill this week by Democrat Gov. Phil Murphy, New Jersey has become the first state requiring schools to teach media literacy to all K–12 students, in an effort to teach them how to recognize misinformation.
The law adds “information literacy” to New Jersey Student Learning Standards as a new content area, and within that, “media literacy” is required. Schools must teach about research; how information is created and produced; the difference between facts, points of view, and opinions; the ethical production of information; and the economic, legal, and social issues surrounding the use of information.
The law directs the state Department of Education to develop learning standards by creating a committee of educators—the majority of which must be certified school library media specialists—plus teachers across a broad spectrum of subject areas and Department of Education personnel. The committee must engage experts to review the standards it develops, the measure states.
There will be three hearings seeking public comment on the “rigor, clarity, and reasonableness” of the standards developed by the committee.
“The new standards will help develop young residents who can recognize false claims and have the skills to succeed in a web-driven world,” the bill’s lead sponsor, Republican state Sen. Michael Testa, said in a statement.
National Movement
Illinois requires media literacy instruction for all high school students, and other states have called for the development of media literacy standards, but New Jersey is the first to require such instruction for all students.Parents didn’t ask for the law. An advocacy group, Media Literacy Now, pushed for the legislation.
The group’s mission is “to spark policy change in every state and at the national level to ensure all K–12 students receive comprehensive media literacy education and skills,” according to its website.
“This bill ensures that 1.3 million public school students in New Jersey will be better prepared for life beyond school with key skills that help them with lifelong learning, civic participation, and work skills,” Olga Polites, leader of the New Jersey chapter of Media Literacy Now, said in a statement. “Media literacy and information literacy lessons ensure that our young people are ready for the challenges ahead in the face of quickly changing communications technology.”
The New Jersey School Boards Association, the New Jersey Association of School Librarians, and the New Jersey Education Association—the union affiliated with the left-leaning National Education Association—all supported the legislation.
