- News outlets are institutions of the news media and professional journalists. News outlets generally have codes of ethics and follow a protocol for researching information before reporting it.
- News influencers are individuals (not companies or organizations) who have 100,000 followers or more on a major social media platform like TikTok or Instagram, and post regularly about current events and civic issues. News influencers are not bound to any professional codes of ethics or research.
Pew’s research from last month reveals that about 17% of all U.S. adults regularly get their news from TikTok. But only 0.4% of TikTok accounts are run by news outlets. This means that many American adults are likely getting their news from non-professional sources such as “news influencers.”
It is perfectly OK to get our information about current events from a variety of sources, but we should use our media literacy skills when thinking about what we hear and see before forming our own opinions. The News Literacy Project recommends using their 5 Factors, nicknamed CARES, to help sharpen those media literacy skills:
- Context – Is this being presented with the proper information?
- Authenticity – Is this undoctored and unedited?
- Reasoning – Does this present a logic-based argument?
- Evidence – What proof backs up this claim?
- Source – Does this come from a standards-based news organization or something less trustworthy?
Test your understanding of the 5 Factors and challenge your media literacy skills with these resources from the News Literacy Project.