TRENTON, N.J. (KYW Newsradio) — New Jersey has become the first state in the country to combat misinformation and conspiracy theories in public discourse by requiring public schools to teach media literacy to K-12 students.
“It is our responsibility to ensure our nation’s future leaders are equipped with the tools necessary to identify fact from fiction,” said Gov. Phil Murphy, as he signed the information literacy bill on Wednesday.
Murphy called misinformation a threat to democracy.
“Our democracy remains under sustained attack through the proliferation of disinformation that is eroding the role of truth in our political and civic discourse,” he said.
With young kids spending so much time on the internet, and being increasingly bombarded with misinformation on social media, they must be taught how to identify trustworthy sources of information, said N.J. Sen. Michael Testa, a sponsor of the bill.
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“I’m certainly not wanting our children to learn from any one source. I want them to get multiple sources. I want to make sure that children are actually learning to be free and critical thinkers,” said Testa.
Kids should be taught to think for themselves, to do research and evaluate facts, rather than to rely on being told what is true or false, he added.
“James Madison, the father of our Constitution, once wrote, ‘Knowledge will forever govern ignorance, and the people who mean to be their own governors must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives,’” Testa said.
How to distinguish fact from opinion is a core lesson mandated by the bill. Students will also learn about primary and secondary sources and how news stories are created and produced.
Now that the bill has become law, the next step is for the Department of Education to create a committee and develop a curriculum.
An important part of the process will be public hearings, where people can share their opinions on the proposed subject matter before classroom instruction begins.
“I want parents to be involved in these hearings. I think it’s hugely critical,” Testa said.
That committee hasn’t been announced, and no date has been set yet.