###### Meg Ellis
# Filter your email


### On the Readings
When it comes to fake news, most articles frame their viewpoint in a very specific, almost defensive manner: “Watch out for the crooks online,” they croon. That’s probably why I related to danah boyd’s Medium article so well; she was able to identify issues from both ends of the political spectrum while still warning her audience of the dangers of misinformation online. I think that media literacy comes from more than just a how-to from your librarian, it must be an active effort that you practice whenever you read the news online. One quote that she stated really stood out to me: “Students [are] encouraged to reflect on economic and political incentives that might bias reporting. Follow the money, they are told. Now watch what happens when they are given a list of names of major power players in the East Coast news media whose names are all clearly Jewish. Welcome to an opening for anti-Semitic ideology” (boyd, 2017). Given the recent controversy surrounding Kanye West and his openness towards his anti-Semitism as seen through various interviews, this article is still just as prevalent as it was six years ago.

It is much easier said than done to fight back against “fake news” online with media literacy because everyone thinks they’re on the right side already. boyd writes, “Asking Facebook to show content that contradicts people’s views will not only increase their hatred of Facebook but increase polarization among the network” (boyd, 2017). In my opinion, Americans must actively choose to listen to an opposing side, rather than getting tech “giants” like Facebook (or Meta) to force feed it to you. This was best described by Claire Wardle, stating, “Online, people perform their identities. They want to feel connected to their ‘tribe’” (Wardle, 2020). Online communities act as cultural hubs full of people that you agree and share common traits with, and to consider someone that doesn’t fit in is for the most part not preferable, almost like inviting a Yankee fan to watch a Red Sox game along the Green Monster.

The political issue at hand is much more serious than baseball rivalries, but, at the end of the day, people want to be part of a community – and the Internet is a wonderful place for that. Alt-right communities, for instance, typically form under a sense of brotherhood and belonging, and despite their extreme ideology, it’s a fostered community of people that feel like they fit in. In retrospect to the work of boyd, Wardle, and the blog F.S., one’s bias towards the media is a massive hurdle to overcome when practicing media literacy, and it’s not something I’m too sure I have the answer to yet. However, it’s something I’m really interested in, and through further research I’d like to learn more about what we’re doing now and what we can do as an American community to change for the better.