National News Literacy Week Gets Underway

As millions of Americans prepare to vote in local, state and federal elections this year, National News Literacy Week 2024 highlights the importance of news literacy and local news in a healthy democracy. The fifth annual event kicks off today with opportunities for participation throughout the week.

Online and in-person events offer the public, educators and students easy-to-adopt tools and tips for navigating our information landscape. A public service announcement campaign in broadcast and print will reach millions of Americans. Everyone can join the conversation on social media using the hashtag #NewsLiteracyWeek.

The initiative is co-presented by the News Literacy Project, a nonpartisan nonprofit that teaches people how to tell fact from fiction in the news and information they consume, and E.W. Scripps, a diversified media company and one of the nation’s largest local TV broadcasters.

“Two things are necessary for a healthy democracy: A more news-literate public and a vibrant local press,” said Charles Salter, president and CEO of the News Literacy Project. “National News Literacy Week is one way that we are leading a movement for news literacy across the country, ensuring that everyone has the skills they need to be informed participants in our civic life.”
“Scripps’ longtime motto is ‘give light and the people will find their own way,’” said Adam Symson, Scripps president-CEO. “Across our local and national newsrooms, this translates to a responsibility to help news consumers sift through all the information that is now available at their fingertips. This year’s National News Literacy Week spotlights this important function of the free press and empowers the public with tools to recognize credible information.”

Go to NewsLiteracyWeek.org for a full lineup of events, to download a social media toolkit and to explore free news literacy resources. News organizations interested in donating ad space can download ads and PSA.