Andrew Sutherland

If you think that professors exist as repositories of knowledge that students ask for answers, you’re missing the entire point of a college education.

We’re here to teach students how to do research, how to analyze and argue, how to think for themselves — how to find the answers on their own.

Yes! And I'll add that professors also exist to motivate and inspire students. Articles like this assume that all college students are 100% self-motivated to do all the hard work required to learn. A professor's genuine passion for a subject is contagious in a way that a computer never can be.

Free speech worries mount as ABC pulls Jimmy Kimmel’s show - Poynter After Colbert’s cancellation and now Kimmel’s suspension, critics warn that networks are bowing to political pressure on speech

It’s rare for networks to drop a show in response to political pressure, but with the suspension of “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” critics warn that networks are letting the pressure shape what reaches the air, despite protected speech. www.poynter.org/commentary/2...

Looking forward to the day I don't have to tap this sign

Some helpful tips for following the awful news out of Minnesota today.

1. In the immediate aftermath, news outlets will get it wrong. 2. Don't trust anonymous sources. 3. Don't trust stories that cite another news outlet as the source of the information. 4. There's almost never a second shooter. 5. Pay attention to the language the media uses. - "We are getting reports"... could mean anything. - "We are seeking confirmation"... means they don't haveit. - "[News outlet] has learned"... means it has a scoop or is going out on a limb. 6. Look for news outlets close to the incident. 7. Compare multiple sources. 8. Big news brings out the fakers. And photoshoppers. 9. Beware reflexive retweeting. Some of this is on you.

(At least) two school shootings today. Both tragic and inexcusable. Be careful what you believe and share.

#medialiteracy

My friend made joy contagious and I want to continue her legacy - FāVS News Tracy Simmons mourns her work neighbor and friend's sudden passing with reflections of her Latter-day Saint faith and legacy of contagious joy.

I wrote about my friend Erin Cox, who died suddenly a few weeks ago. She was the kind of person who jumped into action when you needed help, who filled our workplace with joy and laughter. Her funeral showed me how many lives she touched through simple acts of kindness.
bit.ly/3JK3w0W
#Friendship

The main strategy was checking multiple sources...

... They call it "lateral reading," checking what others say about an organization or influencer.

And also notice their sponsors and your emotions. Does the message make you angry or wishful? Are YOUR best interests THEIR priority?

#medialiteracy

Anti-vaccine myths surged on social media ahead of the CDC shooting Before the shooting, social media companies relaxed their protocols around misinformation.

This is 💯 the impact of ref-working by anti-vaxxers, who have cowed platforms into believing that their policies — which were developed after measles outbreaks + child deaths — were “bad”.

One of the ppl mentioned here - Dressen - is suing me for “censoring” her. 🙄

www.nbcnews.com/tech/interne...

ah, there goes our pro-worker president

Trump's Fact Eradication Program. Plus, How Jubilee is Transforming Political Debate | On the Media | WNYC Studios Trump Goes After Government Data. Plus, How Jubilee is Transforming Political Debate

Jason Y Lee, founder of Jubilee, pitches his YouTube channel as a space for nuance and "radical empathy." On this week's show @taylorlorenz.bsky.social argues Jubilee is actually an engine fueled by rage bait. Feat @mehdirhasan.bsky.social: www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/otm...

Check out some of the presenters yesterday evening at the ComSHER poster session!

A government-sanctioned "truth arbiter" will soon arrive at CBS. Their role will be to ensure that journalists do not criticize this Administration or express views that conflict with its agenda.

This is a betrayal—not just of journalistic independence, but of the public trust. 🧵

Study finds gaps in books on consent education for children WSU team surveys rapidly growing category of books for children younger than 8 and gives them a mixed grade.

A new study by Murrow College researchers Opeyemi Victoria Johnson & Stacey J.T. Hust reveals key gaps in children's books about consent education. While many titles promote bodily autonomy and boundary-setting, they often miss crucial elements like trusted adults and clear anatomical language.

Skeptical of Social Sophistry: An Experiment Testing a Media Literacy Infographic on Substance-Use Misinformation Young adults (ages 18–29) may encounter social media content that presents misinformation about substances. They may use this in their decision-making and further share this misinformation with oth...

New Pub: An online infographic helped make U.S. 18-29 yr olds more skeptical of social media misinfo about substance use. Also, 27-29 yr-olds often were more skeptical than their younger cohorts. That brief exposure to an intervention shows a significant effect is promising.

doi.org/10.1080/1082...

One of the many benefits of media, specifically from entertainment education, is that can build up the self-efficacy of their audience. Weather that is reading, writing, math, or health oriented goals. Sesame Street does more than just entertain.

S.I.F.T.-ing Through the C.R.A.A.P.: Teaching Lateral Reading to Address Social Media Misinformation

This activity uses @mikecaulfield.bsky.social SIFT method to teach students about lateral reading & dives deep into students media environment.

higherlogicdownload.s3.amazonaws.com/AEJMC/cb51e0...

Media literacy infographic used in online experiment with 18-29 yr olds to see if it would make them more skeptical of social media misinfo about substance use. The control group saw a similarly infograpphic about weather warnings. It states "How to recognize misinformation: Take charge to use the media instead of letting the media use you. Think - Look - Check - Ask" with steps 1) Think about the source 2) Look at the content 3) Check your emotions 4) Ask trustworthy experts. More resources are provided at the bottom. Pub at https://doi.org/10.1080/10826084.2025.2538732 Produced by the Murrow Center for Media & Health Promotion Research, Murrow College of Communication, Wash State University, Murrow.Wsu.Edu - Lab site https://labs.wsu.edu/ericawaustin/

New #medialiteracy pub! An online infographic helped make U.S. 18-29 yr olds more skeptical of social media misinfo about substance use. Also, 27-29 yr-olds often were more skeptical than their younger cohorts. (Study N=1201) 🧪

doi.org/10.1080/1082...

Skeptical of Social Sophistry: An Experiment Testing a Media Literacy Infographic on Substance-Use Misinformation Young adults (ages 18–29) may encounter social media content that presents misinformation about substances. They may use this in their decision-making and further share this misinformation with oth...

Important bc young people depend on social media for “info” that often is misinfo. They often share it & make decisions based on it.

Congrats to coauthors Shawn Domgaard, @profsuds.bsky.social and Hae Yeon Seo

www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

On Capitol Hill, I joined Sen. Bill Nelson @gretchentg.bsky.social @adamconner.bsky.social @cdelawalla.bsky.social to sound the alarm about the systematic dismantling of the US research infrastructure. The question isn't whether we can afford to invest in research. It's whether we can afford not to.

Judge Orders Los Angeles Police to Stop Shooting Projectiles at Journalists

Thank you, brave journalists. Let's hope this ruling has some effect. www.nytimes.com/2025/07/11/u...

While a common response when it comes to media literacy is reading beyond the headlines & read multiple sources, but the issue is that many people don’t read beyond the headlines because they feel informed “enough.” It is important to be active media users & encourage others to do so as well.

Colleges face challenges as states attack tenure - The Boston Globe Faculty say this long-held academic practice is a safeguard of their right to free expression

The right wing keeps talking about free speech. An attack on tenure is an attack on free speech. @AAUP.org @AFTHigherEd.bsky.social www.bostonglobe.com/2025/06/26/m...

This is reminding me in 2017 when the alt-national parks social account emerged as a response to restrictions placed on the official National Park Service social accounts during the first Trump administration. This could raise questions around how people determine the credibility of institutions.

Clickbait Nation: Study Finds Media May Spread Misinformation to Survive With clickbait no longer confined to tabloids, legacy media outlets have joined the race for views in an increasingly competitive industry.

Scholars game out how media competition amps up misinfo flow & conclude consumers must deal with the consequences, i.e. let’s teach #medialiteracy! Approach is consistent with the Media Literacy Theory of Change (link in comment), but c’mon media can compete w responsibility too.

I have some thoughts about Vance’s (likely intentional) misnaming of Alex Padilla — and it starts back in September 2024, when Trump alleged that immigrants were “eating pets”, a false and xenophobic claim that Vance had boosted on social media early that day.

Small-Town Newspapers Are Dying Because No One Wants to Run Them And it’s not just about the money.

"When these papers close, publishers & press association leaders say, they hardly ever reopen. Without a common touchstone that informs people about what their neighbors are doing, a town’s sense of identity & history is often at stake."

@niemanlab.org story on the importance of #LocalNews ⤵️

‘If you fall silent, the country is doomed’: CBS News’ Scott Pelley stresses courage as network faces pressure campaign | CNN Business A climate of fear is perceptible in the United States today, and it must be resisted no matter what, CBS News correspondent Scott Pelley says.

"If you have the courage to speak, we are saved. If you fall silent, the country is doomed."

Scott Pelley had some strong words to share on tonight's CNN special after the telecast of "Good Night, and Good Luck." I wrote up the highlights here >>> www.cnn.com/2025/06/07/m...

This is such a good example of "turn every page" journalism - nothing less fun/glam than clicking through every footnote.

And it's roughly 10,000x more newsy than the thumbsucker RFK profiles reported with big travel budgets.

The MAHA Report Cites Studies That Don’t Exist The Trump administration’s “Make America Healthy Again” report misinterprets some studies and cites others that don’t exist, according to the listed authors.

This is what happens when you put internet conspiracy theorists in charge of major government departments.