{"id":2458006,"date":"2025-07-10T13:46:00","date_gmt":"2025-07-10T17:46:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/students-in-pennsylvania-may-soon-learn-how-to-spot-fake-news-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2025-07-10T13:49:32","modified_gmt":"2025-07-10T17:49:32","slug":"students-in-pennsylvania-may-soon-learn-how-to-spot-fake-news-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/students-in-pennsylvania-may-soon-learn-how-to-spot-fake-news-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Students in Pennsylvania may soon learn how to spot \u2018fake news\u2019 &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">28<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fstudents-in-pennsylvania-may-soon-learn-how-to-spot-fake-news-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2458006&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Pennsylvania lawmakers have proposed legislation-House Bill 332 and Senate Bill 839-to require <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/california-bill-requiring-schools-to-teach-media-literacy-heads-to-newsom\/\" title=\"California&#039;s media literacy bill heads to Newsom for approval.\">media literacy education<\/a> in K-12 schools. These bills aim to equip students with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/remember-we-are-the-majority-here-are-ideas-on-what-we-can-do-moving-forward\/\" title=\"Remember We Are the Majority \u2013 Here Are Idea\u2019s On What We Can Do Moving Forward\">critical thinking skills<\/a> to identify and evaluate the credibility of news sources amid the rise of misinformation and &#8220;fake news.&#8221; The proposed curriculum would help students distinguish fact from opinion, emphasizing evidence-based facts irrespective of political affiliation. The Pennsylvania Department of Education would be responsible for developing the curriculum, with specific timelines and requirements differing between the two bills. The initiative builds on existing efforts, including a digital literacy toolkit released by the state to assist educators, students, and families in navigating online information responsibly. The bills are awaiting hearings by Education Committees.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Students in Pennsylvania may soon learn how to spot &lsquo;fake news&rsquo;<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2171006\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>(The Center Square) &ndash; Amid a flood of online mis- and disinformation, lawmakers in both chambers of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/pennsylvania\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Pennsylvania<\/a> General Assembly have proposed legislation to help <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/students\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">students<\/a> evaluate the credibility of their <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">sources<\/a> and empower them with critical thinking skills to distinguish fact from fiction.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>House Bill 332 and Senate Bill 839 would require K-12 media literacy education.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/3467790\/jon-ossoff-10-million-fundraising-haul-georgia-senate-reelection\/\">Ossoff brings in $10 million fundraising haul in reelection bid<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/3467744\/judge-birthright-citizenship-blocks-trump-order-nationwide-class-action-case\/\">Judge blocks Trump birthright citizenship order in nationwide class action case<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3467580\/new-world-screwworm-cattle-shipments-mexico-danger-to-humans\/\">New World screwworm reports halt cattle shipments from Mexico. How much danger do the parasites pose to humans?<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>The authors of both bills say the prominence of intentionally false stories made to appear as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/anne-applebaum-doesnt-think-hunter-biden-peddling-foreign-access-to-his-now-president-father-is-interesting\/\" title=\"Anne Applebaum Doesn\u2019t Think Hunter Biden Peddling Foreign Access To His Now-President Father Is \u2018Interesting\u2019\">legitimate news reports<\/a> has continued to increase, and &ldquo;fake news&rdquo; continues to do a disservice to our public discourse.<\/p>\n<p>They also note that the sophistication of how false information can be disguised and circulated makes it especially difficult for young people to determine fact from fiction. They stress that opinions should not be presented as fact regardless of someone&rsquo;s political affiliation unless they are backed by evidence.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Both are similar in that they require the Pennsylvania Department of Education to establish a media literacy curriculum; however, the House bill specifies a six-month timeline of implementation after enactment and <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >includes explicit professional development requirements<\/a>, while the Senate version provides more detailed curriculum guidelines.<\/p>\n<p>In his co-sponsorship memo, Rep. Tim Briggs, D-King of Prussia, said he believes that the future of our democracy is contingent upon all of us being critical consumers of information.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;As online news and social media have proliferated over the last decade, a whole new category of information has entered the popular lexicon &ndash; fake news, misinformation and disinformation.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Sen. Katie Muth, D-Royersford, in her memo, said the curriculum developed as a result of this bill &ldquo;would provide Pennsylvania&rsquo;s students with the necessary critical thinking skills and knowledge to evaluate the accuracy of news stories for themselves.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>She added that 21 states currently have some form of media literacy education in statute.<\/p>\n<p>Some of the groundwork for these efforts may already be laid.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>In an email statement provided to The Center Square, Erin James, department press secretary, said Gov. Josh Shapiro is committed to ensuring Pennsylvania students have the resources they need to learn and grow from early childhood through adulthood &ndash; that&rsquo;s why he directed the agency to create a toolkit for teachers and parents on digital literacy and critical thinking.<\/p>\n<p>The department, she said,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.pa.gov\/agencies\/education\/newsroom\/shapiro-administration-creates-information-literacy-toolkit-for-educators-preparing-pennsylvanias-next-generation-of-news-consumers.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">released a comprehensive toolkit<\/a>&nbsp;last September to help educators, students, and families navigate the complex digital world. This resource helps young people &ndash; and all Pennsylvanians &ndash; develop the critical thinking skills they need to discern fact from fiction online.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The information literacy toolkit is available online and offers resources on how to recognize biases, distinguish between credible information and misinformation, and create and share content responsibly.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Through a collection of evidence-based resources, she said, the toolkit encourages critical thinking, active participation in society, and contextual understanding of past and current events.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3466465\/philadelphia-trash-workers-end-strike-union-deal\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">PHILADELPHIA TRASH WORKERS REACH UNION DEAL AFTER DAYS WITHOUT PICKUP<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;We welcome the opportunity to buildon the success of this project, and we look forward to continued collaboration with members of the General Assembly on this important initiative,&rdquo; said James. &ldquo;The Department is&nbsp;continuously&nbsp;working&nbsp;to enhance the toolkit, and we welcome feedback on any updates to the information literacy toolkit to ensure it is designed with the needs of Pennsylvanians in mind.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The bills await hearings by their respective Education Committees.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_2171006\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"2171006\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Pennsylvania students may soon be taught to identify fake news<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2458007,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/browsing-internet.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[5152,36362,5836],"class_list":["post-2458006","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-education","tag-media-literacy","tag-pennsylvania"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/browsing-internet.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2458006","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2458006"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2458006\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2458011,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2458006\/revisions\/2458011"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2458007"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2458006"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2458006"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2458006"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}