AMP holds news-literacy workshop with WBHM, Breakthrough Birmingham

Twenty Birmingham-area students in grades 6-12 learned and practiced news-literacy skills, asked journalists questions, toured a radio station and recorded news announcements during a news-literacy and media-careers workshop held by AMP, WBHM and Breakthrough Birmingham on Feb. 25.

WBHM, Birmingham’s National Public Radio affiliate, hosted the 4.5-hour event at its facility. (WBHM's weekly newsletter featured the workshop.) Students attended through Breakthrough Birmingham, a nonprofit that seeks to reverse educational inequity through year-round after-school programming for middle and high school students in Birmingham City and surrounding-area schools.

"This workshop helped equip scholars with the skills needed to distinguish between real and fake news and avoid spreading misinformation and disinformation," said Kristen Wearbon, program coordinator for Breakthrough Birmingham.

AMP President Olivia McMurrey gave a news-literacy presentation that she and AMP Vice President of Programs Clay Carey developed. Students:

• learned the key distinction between misinformation and disinformation (i.e. intent);

• reviewed five factors to consider when attempting to determine if media is true or false;

• evaluated true and false social media posts utilizing those five factors; and

• learned about the role of misinformation, trusted sources and accurate reporting in journalism.

Olivia also recruited journalists for the panel discussion and moderated the discussion. The journalists were:

• Carla Wade, news anchor at WVTM NBC Channel 13

• Ruth Serven Smith, education editor for AL.com

• Rashah McChesney, senior content editor for the Gulf States Newsroom

• Montee Lopez, an executive producer with WMC-TV in Memphis, Tennessee.

Leaders of both WBHM and Breakthrough Birmingham expressed interest in partnering with AMP on future news-literacy events and initiatives.