Teaching Media Literacy with Social Media News

An Introduction to the Practical Techniques of a Former CIA Media Analyst

Meet Roy Whitehurst, a former CIA analyst and instructor who spent 30+ years evaluating written information, photos, videos, and other media collected by the CIA and then taught media literacy skills to new CIA analysts. He is the author of the new book, Teaching Media Literacy with Social Media News: Practical Techniques for Middle and High School Classrooms. The book, which shows middle and high school educators in civics, English language arts, and social studies how to teach the skills to their students, can in fact teach all of us.

DATE: Thursday, October 24, 2024

TIME: 4 - 5 PM EST

LOCATION: Online. Click Here to Register

In this webinar, Roy will introduce us to media evaluation techniques he learned at CIA and show us how anyone—not just CIA analysts—can build their skills at evaluating the accuracy, credibility, logic, and argumentation of posts on social media. He will argue that these skills are critical for us to engage in civic discourse and build a stronger democracy. Roy will also introduce his website, www.medialiteracysleuth.com, where he periodically posts evaluations of social media news, including trending pop culture media and media appropriate for use in civics, ELA, and social studies curricula.

What People are Saying about Roy’s New Book

"Roy Whitehurst's Teaching Media Literacy with Social Media News is exceptional in the media literacy field. Leveraging his CIA expertise, it offers educators a well-researched toolkit with practical techniques, real-world examples, and engaging lesson plans. This indispensable guide empowers teachers to help students excel in our complex digital world, fostering critical thinking about contemporary media."

-Tim Jones, Library Media Specialist and K-12 Media Literacy Teacher of the Year 2023 (NAMLE)

“In a complex information environment, learning how to evaluate different kinds of information is essential for tweens and teens in and beyond the classroom. The excellent help and advice in Teaching Media Literacy with Social Media News will be a boon to teachers and students. A wide variety of lesson plans, exercises and information will help teachers develop their students’ critical thinking skills. Exercises using popular social media platforms will help make the lessons relevant to students.”

-Joanna Burkhardt, Faculty Librarian, University of Rhode Island

“If ever there was a time for this book, this is it. Forces are at work overtime to fool media illiterate students. Roy Whitehurst is uniquely qualified to provide educators with a critically important tool for their toolbox. You'll be pleased to have this one on the shelf for teachers.

-Frank W. Baker, Media Literacy Clearinghouse, 2019 UNESCO Honoree