Quick looks: Critical Media Literacy and Fake News in Post-Truth America
The title of this book is not exactly catchy, but it does do exactly what it says on the tin, to quote the famous advert (see below).
Yesterday I received the print version of the book for review, but by a happy coincidence I’d already started “reading”, a few days ago, the pdf version to publishers sent to me back in June. (I have described my experience of listening to the pdf on the Kindle Fire elsewhere.)
I haven’t finished reading the book yet, so this is just a “quick look”. I hope to include a full review of it in a forthcoming fake news “special” of my newsletter, Digital Education.
First, it says something about the quality of the writing that this is not as dry as dust, despite being an academic publication. It’s very interesting and thought-provoking.
For example, one of the chapters makes the very valid point that when a journalist tries to be objective by showing both sides of a political issue, that is a political position.
Secondly, many of the issues covered apply equally to the situation in the UK, and I daresay everywhere else in the world.
As I say, I’ve read only a quarter of the book so far, but so far, so good.