A People's Guide to media literacy

“Without facts, you can’t have truth. Without truth, you can’t have trust. Without trust, we have no shared reality, and it becomes impossible to deal with the existential problems we face.”
Maria Ressa (Nobel Peace Prize-winning journalist)

This war on truth isn’t theoretical. We’ve seen it in political messaging , AI deep fakes, and media manipulation. Now that we get our information dispersed across podcasts, vlogs, and text messages it is becoming harder to tell fact from fiction. Disinformation distracts us, divides us, and discredits our movements. In today's world, elected officials share false stories about immigrants to stoke xenophobic and anti-Black sentiments to drive votes. Conspiracy theories fuel distrust and are used to undermine social justice movements. In this fast-paced Age of Information, we must learn to distinguish between propaganda and education and sensationalism and journalism.

The good news? You don't need a college degree to be media literate. Every day, people have always been truth-tellers, especially in our families and communities. Whether you're an auntie sharing news in a group chat, a teen on social media, or someone just trying to stay informed without getting overwhelmed, this guide is for you.

Malcolm X said: "The media's the most powerful entity on earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and that's power. Because they control the minds of the masses."

Newspapers, radio, television, magazines, and social media allow us to communicate and influence large groups of people. There is so much information at our fingertips, yet the public seems to be misinformed about critical issues. We watch rage-baiting TikTok posts and grown at the latest meme shared in our family WhatsApp groups. misinformation fuels hate and shifts people toward harmful ideologies. But media literacy doesn't belong only to academics or elites. It's a survival skill for everyday people and rooted in everyday wisdom.

What Is Media Literacy?

Media literacy is a set critical skill that allows us to examine the construction of messages, including their purpose and potential biases. Media literacy means knowing how to tell the difference between what's true, what's misleading, and what's meant to manipulate you.

It helps us protect ourselves and our communities from being misled.

Whether you're watching the news, doom-scrolling social media, or viewing a forwarded meme, media literacy helps you pause and ask, "Is this trustworthy?"

“The radio, the TV, the media: it’s all a form of mind control if you don’t question it.” Chuck D. Public Enemy

Signs of Media Bias or Manipulation

Even real news can have bias. Here are some red flags:

Emotional language: Is it trying to make you angry or afraid right away?
One-sided story: Are they leaving out key voices?
Loaded words: Terms such as "thug," "hero," "mob," "rioter/looter," "illegal," or "radical" shape how we feel about people unfairly.
No proof: Are there facts, links, quotes, or just vibes?

Quick tip: If it feels too dramatic to be true… pause and check.

Forwarded Messages and WhatsApp Warnings

Here's the thing:

Just because it was shared by someone you love doesn't mean it's true.

Many false stories use fear or religious language to appear trustworthy. Before you forward something, try copying a sentence and searching for it on Google. You'd be surprised how many viral claims have already been debunked.

Golden rule: Pause before you pass it on.

How to Double-Check a Story

Ask yourself:

Who wrote this—and why?
Is the source credible?
Can you find the same info somewhere else?
Are there quotes from real people?
Does it say when and where it happened?

Trusted News Sources

Here are some outlets that do solid, factual reporting:

PBS NewsHour – Public TV news known for balance and depth
Associated Press (AP) – Neutral reporting is used by many other outlets
NPR – Public radio that centers real stories and local voices
Reuters – Global news with a focus on accuracy
Al Jazeera English – Covers international and underreported stories

Watch out for sites that always blame one group, deploy racist, xenophobic, and Islamophobic tropes and stereotypes, never list their authors, or make you do the research to prove them wrong.

Bias Isn't Just Political—It's Racial, Too

Media bias is evident in how stories are told and who gets to say to them.

When white suspects are called "man," but others are labeled "Black man" or "Muslim man"—that's racial bias.
When property damage gets more airtime than police brutality during protests—that's narrative control.

Understanding how race and power are represented in the media helps us read between the lines. MuslimARC training provides critical skills to unpack harmful narratives that drive state and interpersonal violence. You can request a faciltated workshop or sign up for our upcoming offerings.

Tools You Can Use

Here are some simple ways to stay sharp:

Use fact-checking sites like Snopes or Media Bias Fact Check
Ask questions, even in group chats
Support outlets that include our communities’ voices and share our values

Where to Get Trusted, People-First Info

These podcasts and YouTube channels offer reliable, accessible content:

Podcasts

Code Switch (NPR) – Stories about race and identity
What A Day (Crooked Media) – Daily 20-minute news roundup
Know Your Enemy – Explains conservative movements with deep research
The Take (Al Jazeera) -A daily interview-driven international news podcast hosted by award-winning journalist Malika Bilal.

Short-Form Video (Instagram, YouTube Shorts, TikTok)

@NowThisPolitics – Clips on legislation, protests, and rights
@MorePerfectUS – Fact-checked explainers on housing, labor, and healthcare
@AJPlus – Visual storytelling on global justice, Palestine, immigration

Final Word: Truth-Telling Is a Community Skill

Media literacy is a survival tool. It helps us protect our communities, tell our own stories, and resist the lies that divide us.

So whether you're in a mosque, on the bus, in a group chat, or around the dinner table, share the tools. Ask the questions. Verify if it is true. Because when we think before we share, we build power together.

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Amplify Black- and immigrant-led campaigns for freedom and rights.

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