A team of journalism students, faculty and staff at the BYU School of Communications spent Winter Semester 2021 creating eight modules about news literacy. Module 3 discusses the what of journalism. Students involved in creating the project were Emma Benson, Lauren Hemmert-Jensen, Hannah Koford Adams and Joe Belnap.

A team of journalism students, faculty and staff at the BYU School of Communications spent Winter Semester 2021 creating eight modules about news literacy. Module 2 discusses the who of journalism. Students involved in creating the project were Emma Benson, Lauren Hemmert-Jensen, Hannah Koford Adams and Joe Belnap.

A team of journalism students, faculty and staff at the BYU School of Communications spent Winter Semester 2021 creating a series of 8 modules about news literacy. Module 1 gives an overview of the topic. Students involved in creating the project were Emma Benson, Lauren Hemmert-Jensen, Hannah Koford Adams and Joe Belnap.

It was an unusual Sunday morning in June 2019 in Flushing, located in the New York City borough of Queens. I and a group of 25 BYU travel study students were seated in the Flushing chapel of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It was not a typical sacrament meeting. The ward is bilingual and every participant received a headset. As leaders and fellow Saints spoke during a testimony meeting, there was simultaneous translation from either English to Spanish and vice versa. The Spirit was evident in either tongue.

“That’s fake news.”

News organizations generally, and newspapers specifically, have played an important role for decades in strengthening American democracy by litigating for free expression and responsible government. One of the little-noticed effects of the changing newspaper revenue model in the 21st century has been the lack of resources for newspapers to pursue beneficial litigation on behalf of the public interest. This phenomenon has been documented by University of Utah law professor RonNell Andersen Jones.

In an ever-changing world with a 24/7 news cycle, it is becoming more important than ever to know how to distinguish between fact and fiction.

As I have taught publication design courses over the last 25 years, the definition of “publication” has evolved in a variety of ways. First it was newspaper design, then a little bit of magazine design was added. Then, that grew into webzines, then digital magazines and eventually iPad magazines with interactive slideshows.

Each year on November 2, the United Nations recognizes International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists. It’s a grim recognition but one that is needed now more than ever.