Hundreds of events will support media literacy education the week before U.S. presidential election

CommPRO Editorial Staff

The National Association for Media Literacy Education (NAMLE) is hosting the 6th annual U.S. Media Literacy Week from October 26-30, 2020, to call attention to the need for media literacy education in the United States. Hundreds of organizations, institutions, schools, educators, practitioners, and supporters are coordinating efforts to raise awareness about the importance of developing strong media literacy skills and habits to create positive social change and increase civic engagement in our democracy. #MediaLitWk will be promoted through public outreach activities, classroom lessons, film screenings, virtual events, panel discussions, and more. Details can be found at MediaLiteracyWeek.us.

This year the theme focuses on NAMLE’s definition of media literacy, which is “the ability to ACCESS, ANALYZE, EVALUATE, CREATE, and ACT using all forms of communication.” Each day will highlight one of those key components and offer resources for people to learn more about how they relate to media literacy. U.S. Media Literacy Week is sponsored by Facebook, Thomson Reuters, Amazon Studios, Trend Micro, Nickelodeon, and TikTok.

“In a year where the overflow of information is overwhelming, the need to teach media literacy skills has never been clearer. U.S. Media Literacy Week allows us to amplify the importance of
media literacy education as a vital cornerstone of democracy,” said Michelle Ciulla Lipkin, Executive Director of NAMLE. “By highlighting the incredible grassroots efforts and the passion of our educators, organizations, and institutions, we hope to see media literacy grow to be highly valued and widely practiced in this country.”

As the leading voice, convener and resource for media literacy education, NAMLE and its partners coordinate efforts to amplify the role of media literacy as an essential 21st century life
skill and to highlight how media literacy is crucial for a participatory democracy.

Highlights of U.S. Media Literacy Week 2020 Include:

? NAMLE and Thomson Reuters have launched a media literacy contest for students and classrooms. Students will answer “How do you decide whether a piece of information you saw or heard is trustworthy?” Winners are eligible for a mentorship with a Reuters journalist!
? NAMLE and Reuters will co-host a kick-off event for U.S. Media Literacy Week on Monday, October 26, about the intersection of journalism, fact checking and media literacy, with a dialogue between high school students and real world journalists.
? On Monday, October 26, NAMLE and Facebook will bring together a panel of first time voters to discuss issues relevant to them and the importance of being civically engaged.
? Members of the National Media Literacy Alliance are also planning events throughout the week. For a full list of events, check out the events page on the Media Literacy Week website.
? On Wednesday, October 26, NAMLE and Amazon Studios will host a special discussion about All In: the Fight for Democracy, a film with Stacey Abrams, the former Democratic gubernatorial candidate from Georgia, that examines the issue of voter suppression in the United States.
? NAMLE will host two events for Netflix Films. On Monday, October 26, a screening and discussion about The Claudia Kishi Club, a film about the portrayal of the iconic Japanese- American character from The Baby-Sitter’s Club books. On Thursday, October 29, participants will watch clips and discuss the documentary Disclosure, which explores transgender representation in the film and television industry.
? On Friday, October 30, NAMLE, PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs, and the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning & Engagement (CIRCLE) at Tufts University will be closing out Media Literacy Week with an event focused on youth civic engagement.

Everyone Can Participate

All are welcome to participate in Media Literacy Week for FREE. Anyone interested in becoming a Media Literacy Week participant can fill out the registration form here. It’s up to each
individual, educator and/or organization to decide how they will participate and we offer different levels (Supporter, Educator, Organizer, and Creator) and suggestions of ways people can join.
If participants are organizing events, NAMLE is asking all U.S. Media Literacy Week partners toregister their event on the Global Media and Information Week website to show support and
alignment with global activities.

U.S. Media Literacy Week (October 26-30, 2020) has been scheduled to align with Australia’s Media Literacy Week, Canada’s Media Literacy Week and UNESCO’s Global Media and
Information Literacy Week (October 24-31, 2020). This global movement illustrates the growing need for media literacy education in today’s information age.