Desensitization to Devastating News in Social Media

Is Social Media The Cause of desensitization, or are WE? In the 21st century, the negative influence of social media is everywhere, all the time. Open any social media app and after a few clicks between Instagram posts, or a couple minutes spent scrolling down the TikTok explore page you have been exposed to the …

Wake up America & say NO to racial stereotypes

Image from 'The Columbus Dispatch' https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/2021/05/25/ohio-republicans-introduce-bill-ban-teaching-critical-race-theory/7432289002/ When talking about race and racism, how do you feel? Do you feel sad, happy, or dismissed? For many, the conversation of race and racism is extremely hard to have, especially when there are groups of people who benefit from it, while others do not. In 2021, the conversation …

How The Pandemic Changed Social Capital

There can be no denying that the COVID-19 pandemic that has affected the world for over a year now has largely forced us to change the way we socialize with each other, for the time being. With in person social interaction being largely limited until the pandemic is under control, socialization has been forced to …

How narrative cinema has changed history

Great Britain, 1961 - Homosexuality is considered a crime and punishable by imprisonment. The subject is so taboo and unspeakable that no film released in Great Britain even contained the word "homosexual". However, in 1961, that changed with the release of Victim, directed by Basil Dearden. The film stars Dirk Bogarde as Melville Farr, a …

The Importance of Media Literacy in an Age of Disinformation

We currently exist in an age of information. Most people today walk around with a device in their pocket capable of providing a near limitless supply of information and media. However, not all information is created equal and being able to determine what information you should be consuming is a critical skill. Thus, to help …

Editorial: What is Media Literacy and How Does it Affect Me?

In the United States of America, citizens live under freedom of press; a law which gives every individual the right to post or publish anything they’d like, true or false. While this opens countless opportunities for learning, discovery, and creativity, it allows the truth to become somewhat abstract. Where is my information coming from? What …

The problem with “Fair and Balanced” news

Major far-right news outlets are claiming objectivity, even as their stories are proven to be false. Image source: Gary Waters/Ikon Images/Getty Images I recently came across the National Journalism Center student internship program, whose mission is “to train aspiring journalists in the values of responsible, balanced, and accurate reporting.” The list of guest speakers, however, …

Deciphering Fake News

When we hear the words "fake news" in 2020, our minds often become hijacked by images of a large, orange haired man who spends more time on Twitter than any teenager we have ever met. However, fake news really boils down to something that is beyond unfavorable criticism of our Commander in Chief. According to …