ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (May 11, 2022) – The nonprofit Poynter Institute is collaborating with NBCLX, NBCUniversal Local’s national TV and streaming network serving Millennial and Gen Z audiences, to help viewers identify misinformation and disinformation on social media.
The Campus Correspondents at MediaWise, a social-first digital media literacy initiative led by Poynter, will produce weekly fact checks on topics circulating social media and being talked about on college campuses across the country. The segments will air on NBCLX’s news program, “LX News,” and be featured on LX.com, providing a national platform for this important information.
This prestigious group of college students have been trained by experts in fact-checking, media literacy and journalism ethics to help their peers separate fact from fiction online. The team of 10 students from schools across the country work with college professors to host virtual in-class training visits.
With support from Meta, the MediaWise Campus Correspondents program has hosted more than 155 training sessions for more than 3,200 college students in 30 different states since 2020.
“NBCLX is all about explaining the ‘why’ and not just the ‘what.’ Our in-depth stories, explainers, and documentary-style pieces go beyond the headlines by providing important context and analysis,” said Matthew Glasser, managing editor of NBCLX. “Our partnership with MediaWise is a natural extension of this mission, and it will empower our audience by teaching them how to avoid the daily deluge of social media dis- and misinformation.”
Campus Correspondent Gabbie Puzon of California State University-Northridge said, “This partnership with NBCLX will make media literacy accessible to a wider audience. While efforts to combat misinformation have come a long way, there is still much to be done when it comes to making media literacy accessible and easy to understand for the public.”
In addition to leading 50-plus virtual in-class trainings in the fall semester, the Campus Correspondents will produce short weekly segments leading up to the U.S. midterm elections that demonstrate simple techniques to help voters of all ages and backgrounds identify misinformation and find trusted sources.
“I’m excited to produce content leading up to Nov. 8,” said correspondent Kyle Davidson of Michigan State University. “From information about candidates to questions of how to vote, there’s a lot that goes into preparing for the polls. Ensuring people have access to accurate answers during this process is key to ensuring they can fully exercise their right to vote.”
The videos will revolve around pressing issues such as climate change, health care and international affairs including the Russia-Ukraine war.
“When addressing misinformation, it’s important to ask ourselves how we got to this moment in time,” said correspondent Kobe McCloud of Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania. “I’m working on some multimedia content to bring historical context to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. With NBCLX, we’ll dive into the past, present and future of foreign policy.”
The Campus Correspondents will pull viral videos from platforms like TikTok and Instagram to show viewers how disinformers pull heartstrings or edit footage to spread false or misleading messages.
“I’m excited to teach consumers about not only what kind of bad information is out there, but also how they can recognize it and, most importantly, how to find good information,” said correspondent Hayden Masia from Colgate University. “Talking about misinformation can be overwhelming. I think that simultaneously teaching our audience how to find reliable sources will be very beneficial.”
The series will launch this month. Viewers can watch NBCLX on LX.com, on over-the-air TV in 46 U.S. markets, on Xfinity, Cox Cable, Optimum, Spectrum, and Verizon systems in select markets, on Peacock, Roku, Xumo and Apple TV, and via YouTube TV, Fubo TV and Hulu + Live TV. NBCLX is also available on the NBC owned station apps. For more information on where to watch NBCLX, visit LX.com.
Follow MediaWise on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube for more fact-checking content from the MediaWise Campus Correspondents. Learn more at poynter.org/mediawise.
Media Contact
Tina Dyakon
Director of Marketing
The Poynter Institute
tdyakon@poynter.org
727-553-4343
About The Poynter Institute:
The Poynter Institute for Media Studies is a global leader in journalism education and a strategy center that stands for uncompromising excellence in journalism, media, and 21st-century public discourse. Poynter faculty teach seminars and workshops at the Institute in St. Petersburg, Florida, and at newsrooms, conferences, and organizations around the world. Its e-learning division, News University, offers the world’s largest online journalism curriculum, with hundreds of interactive courses and tens of thousands of registered international users. The Institute’s website produces 24-hour coverage about media, ethics, technology, and the business of news. Poynter is the home of the Craig Newmark Center for Ethics and Leadership, the Pulitzer Prize-winning PolitiFact, the International Fact-Checking Network and MediaWise, a digital information literacy project for young people, first-time voters, and senior citizens. The world’s top journalists and media innovators rely on Poynter to learn and teach new generations of reporters, storytellers, media inventors, designers, visual journalists, documentarians, and broadcasters. This work builds public awareness about journalism, media, the U.S. First Amendment, and discourse that serves democracy and the public good. Learn more at poynter.org.
About MediaWise:
MediaWise is a social-first digital media literacy initiative of the nonprofit Poynter Institute. The program teaches people of all ages and backgrounds how to responsibly engage with online content in the age of information overload. The fact-checking enterprise was created in 2018 to empower citizens to find trusted sources and make sense of the vast amount of information at their fingertips. We bring simple, yet effective, digital media literacy tools to people where they are — whether they’re on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter or TikTok or in one of the five countries where MediaWise operates — and walk them through every step to determine what’s real and what’s not on the internet. Through MediaWise, everyone can do their part to reduce the spread of misinformation and elevate the truth. Follow MediaWise on social media to learn how to debunk viral claims and be more critical consumers of online information. Explore programs and be part of the solution at poynter.org/mediawise.
About NBCLX:
NBCLX is NBCUniversal Local’s TV and streaming network that serves Adults 18-45. NBCLX’s innovative storytelling approach to news, entertainment and lifestyle programming is featured on its flagship show LX News, which delivers more than 30 hours of live coverage weekly, along with LX Presents, LX Explains and other premium programs and special features. Audiences everywhere can watch NBCLX’s live linear channel on LX.com (no login required), on over-the-air (OTA) TV in 46 U.S.-based TV markets, on Xfinity, Cox Cable, Optimum, Spectrum, and Verizon systems in select markets, on Peacock, Roku, Xumo and Apple TV, and via YouTube TV, Fubo TV and Hulu + Live TV. NBCLX is also available on mobile through LX.com and the NBC owned station apps. For more information about NBCLX and to check local listings, visit LX.com. Follow on social @NBCLX.