>>> IN TODAY'S SHOUTING CHORUS
OF NEWS AND OPINION ONLINE, ON
TELEVISION AND ON TALK RADIO,
THE TRUTH CAN BE HARD TO FIND.
BAD INFORMATION, PARTISAN
PROPAGANDA AND DANGEROUS
CONSPIRACY THEORIES HAVE
BLOSSOMED AROUND THE PANDEMIC
AND THE 2020 PRESIDENTIAL
ELECTION.
OFTEN FED BY POLITICAL LEADERS.
EVEN THIS WEEK.
NOW SOME SCHOOLS ARE TAKING UP
THE IMPORT CIVIC TASK OF
TEACHING STUDENTS TO SIFT OUR
FACTS FROM THE FLOOD OF
INFORMATION THEY SEE EVERY DAY.
NBC'S JOE FRYER HAS OUR "SUNDAY
SPOTLIGHT."
>> Reporter: YEARS AGO MOST OF
THE NEWS WE CONSUMED WAS
CAREFULLY CURATED AND VETTED
BEFORE IT WAS CATAPULTED ON TO
OUR LAWNS OR PIPED INTO OUR
LIVING ROOMS THROUGH THREE TV
NETWORKS.
>> GOOD EVENING.
I'M TOM BROKAW WITH NBC NEWS.
>> Reporter: A TRICKLE OF
INFORMATION COMPARED TO THE
UNFILTERED WATERFALL NOW WASHING
OVER US.
ESPECIALLY TEENS.
>> THEY'RE SO USED TO KIND OF
SCROLLING AT A RAPID PACE.
THEY CONSUME WITH A BEAT OF A
THUMB.
>> OUR ROLE, FIND THE TRUTH
DIDN'T --
>> Reporter: ERIN IS A HIGH
SCHOOL TEACHER IN GEORGIA.
HER CLASSROOM LITERALLY INCLUDES
MEDIA LITERACY TEACHING KIDS HOW
TO IDENTIFY CREDIBLE
INFORMATION.
>> MEDIA LITERACY DON'T TAKE
THINGS AT FACE VALUE.
ALWAYS CONSIDER WHAT ELSE MIGHT
BE THE PURPOSE HERE?
>> Reporter: HER CURRICULUM
COMES FROM THE NEWS LITERACY
PROJECT.
A NONPROFIT THAT PARTNERS WITH
TEACHERS AND SCHOOLS SHOWING
STUDENTS LIKE MAX HOW TO SORT
FACT FROM FICTION.
>> WERE YOU SURPRISED TO SEE HOW
PREVALENT MISINFORMATION IS?
>> YEAH.
I THINK THAT WAS THE BIGGEST
THING IS, LIKE, MAN.
THERE'S SO MUCH OF THIS STUFF
GOING AROUND.
IT'S REALLY KIND OF CRAZY.
>> Reporter: ONE OF HIS
ASSIGNMENTS THIS PAST YEAR,
DIGGING INTO REPORTS THAT I PEW
PR
I BEAUX PRIBUPROFEN MAKES COVID.
STUDENTS DOUBLE CHECK THE FACTS.
TAKE THIS PHOTO, SHARED LAST
YEAR ALLEGING RIOTERS TO FACE
THE VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL IN
WASHINGTON.
A LITTLE MORE DIGGING, IT'S
ACTUALLY A MURAL IN CALIFORNIA
VANDALIZED IN 2016.
>> DOESN'T ASK YOU TO TRUST IT.
DEMONSTRATES WHY YOU SHOULD.
>> Reporter: THIS WAS CREATED IN
2009 BY FORMER "L.A. TIMES"
INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST ALAN
MILLER.
>> I STARTED THE LITERACY
PROJECT MORE THAN A DECADE AGO
WITH MY DAUGHTER IN MIND.
>> Reporter: THE PROJECT NOW
REACHES MORE THAN 160,000
STUDENTS WITH MORE THAN 34,000
TEACHERS ENROLLED.
DEMAND INCREASED IN THE WAKE OF
THE PANDEMIC AND 2020 ELECTION,
PERFECT STORMS FOR
MISINFORMATION.
>> MY GOAL IS TO GET STUDENTS TO
THINK FOR THEMSELVES.
>> Reporter: IS IT WORKING?
>> IT'S WORKING ABSOLUTELY,
BECAUSE THE STUDENTS ARE ASKING
QUESTIONS.
>> Reporter: SAUNDRA STARTED
USING THE PROGRAM THIS YEAR AT
THE GORDON PARK SCHOOL FOR
INQUISITIVE MINDS IN QUEENS.
ONE OF HER STUDENTS, THIS
14-YEAR-OLD.
>> I PUT MYSELF IN, LIKE, A
JOURNALIST SHOES.
>> SO NOW WHEN YOU SEE ANY
INFORMATION ONLINE OR ON SOCIAL
MEDIA, WHAT IMMEDIATELY GOES
THROUGH YOUR MIND?
>> IF IT'S TRUE.
IS IT TRUE?
IS IT ACCURATE?
>> Reporter: IT MAY SOUND LIKE A
SIMPLE QUESTION.
BUT THE KEY IS MOTIVATING MORE
OF US TO STOP AND LOOK FOR THE
ANSWERS.