The world is awash in misinformation. But can we rein it in without eroding free speech? Our podcast explores this thorny issue facing our societies.
We are all flooded with misinformation. But what can we do about it?
We turned to Henry Brechter, managing editor of the U.S. media company AllSides, to explore whether misinformation can be effectively curbed through government regulation, or whether such efforts would do irreparable damage to free speech. AllSides uses media bias ratings to provide balanced news across the U.S. political spectrum.
In our podcast, “Let’s Talk About It,” we explore the complex and oftentimes fraught relationship between the principle of free speech and the need to protect the public against misinformation that can foster political polarization.
We young people need to learn to navigate the media landscape and teach ourselves how to identify bias in the news. Our generation should aim to be as educated as possible so we can assess the accuracy of information and not rely on government regulation.
Here is our contribution to the campaign for media literacy.
Three questions to consider:
- Why do the authors believe that government-imposed regulation is not a perfect answer to misinformation?
- What is Facebook’s stance towards government regulation of its platforms?
- What do you think is the best way to curb misinformation?
Chloe Patricof is in her second year of high school at The Hewitt School in New York City. Her favorite subjects are English and History, and she has always been interested in politics, journalism and current events. At school, she participates in News Decoder activities and is a member of the current events club, the debate team, the psychology club and the cultural awareness club.
Anabella Paige is in her second year of high school at The Hewitt School in New York City. She enjoys English and French, and participates in the cultural awareness club, debate club and psychology club. She is interested in foreign relations and learning through travel. She plans to enroll in as many foreign exchange programs as possible to help her determine what to pursue in the future.