The Department of Homeland Security believes aesthetics can help protect democracy from bots and other manipulators of information. However, despite their earnestness, the graphic novels produced by CISA lack the nuance to train citizens to be critical readers of the information they consume, leaving them vulnerable to disinformation. On the other hand, Lorenzetti’s “The Allegory of Good and Bad Government” is an example of an aesthetic encounter that successfully encourages us to fear security itself and develop our critical reading skills to help safeguard our democracy. Read full article here
Research
Improving media literacy could boost trust towards the news, IMPRESS report suggests
The UK media is regulated by the likes of IPSO and Ofcom. The report by press regulator IMPRESS highlights the link between low levels of media literacy and trust in the news. The study found that three quarters of those who did not know if journalists were regulated did not trust the news. It suggests that improving media literacy is one way to stem the erosion of trust, and shows that audiences have an appetite for information on news processes. Stakeholders need to collaborate in order to rebuild trust in the news, and independent media is well placed to do this. Read full article here
Merv
February 1, 2023
