Media literacy curriculum implemented in NJ public schools from kindergarten through 12th grade
NEW JERSEY (WABC) -- New Jersey will now require public schools to teach media literacy, in an effort to combat misinformation.
Gov. Phil Murphy recently signed a bill that would implement media literacy curriculum in grades kindergarten through 12th.
Advocates say it's a way to help students learn how to recognize whether sources are credible.
The bill was overwhelmingly approved last month, making NJ the first to implement media or information literacy statewide beginning with kindergarten.
"Our democracy remains under sustained attack through the proliferation of disinformation that is eroding the role of truth in our political and civic discourse," Murphy said in a statement. "It is our responsibility to ensure our nation's future leaders are equipped with the tools necessary to identify fact from fiction."
Through this new law, the state's Department of Education will implement researching and critical thinking skills into this this curriculum. That includes teaching the difference between facts and opinions and primary and secondary sources.
"At a time when misinformation and disinformation are eroding the foundations of that democracy, it is imperative that students have the tools they need to determine what information they can trust," said Sean M. Spiller, president of the New Jersey Education Association.
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