PEN America Presents: Book Bans and Disinformation- The Ties Between Media Literacy and the Freedom to Read

Join PEN America for a media literacy workshop and Q&A. We will begin with our classic media literacy workshop and then explore the connection between disinformation and other anti-democratic trends.

During the workshop, we’ll take a holistic approach to embracing the ins and outs of media literacy, which includes skills for navigating difficult conversations with those who believe it and spread. In this 60-minute workshop, we will cover the following:

• Definition refresher: What is the difference between misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation, again?
• How to communicate with family and friends who believe misinformation without sacrificing your own mental health
• A day in the life of a lie: The way misinformation moves and morphs between countries and social media platforms, closed messaging apps, and radio shows
• The psychology: How false content hacks our brains through confirmation bias, fear, and more
• Disinformation does not exist in a vacuum: Recognizing the importance of historical and cultural contexts that are often used against targeted audiences
• Strategies for uplifting credible, culturally attuned, in-language news and information quickly with messaging that doesn’t polarize or alienate
• Communication strategies for expressing the value of media literacy as a leader and trusted messenger in your community