“Reading is fundamental” is the notable slogan associated with the largest children’s literary nonprofit in the U.S., Reading is Fundamental Inc. (RIF). Founded by Margaret McNamara in 1966, the organization’s primary objective is to disrupt the nation’s literacy crisis, particularly amongst children and young readers. In 2024, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reported that the average reading score in the U.S. at grade 4 was two points lower than in 2022 and five points lower than in 2019. According to ProLiteracy, 59 million American adults read at or below Level 1, indicating elementary literacy. Additionally, education experts across the nation fear that the literacy crisis may be weakening gradually. With the integration of AI, the overconsumption of “brain rot,” and the widespread concern of misinformation evading the internet, does the pro-literacy statement still ring true? Or has it just morphed into a form of written clapback culture?
In light of the recent federal funding cuts, prompting the shutdown of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, animated clips from the right-wing media organization PragerU have since resurfaced online. Some of the snippets in question involve a cartoon Christopher Columbus and Frederick Douglass downplaying the destructive effects of enslavement, presumably modified into a “kid-friendly” format. This comes after the White House’s announcement of partnering with the conservative outlet to launch a Founders’ Museum exhibit for the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Co-developed by conservative talk show host Dennis Prager, PragerU is not an accredited educational organization or university. Instead, the rightist nonprofit promotes a slew of historical falsehoods framed as “pro-American” propaganda.
For decades, PBS Kids has remained one of the top sources for children’s programming. In the company’s 2022 annual report, PragerU proclaimed “to go toe-to-toe with massive youth media companies like PBS Kids and Disney” with its controversial kids division, PragerU Kids. Before PBS and NPR’s budget reductions, the claim, once perceived as a radical pipe dream, built up some momentum following the conservative push in the political sphere. PragerU is allowed to be shown in K-12 public school classrooms in several U.S. states, including Florida, Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma, and Arizona. Academics and researchers are expressing growing concern with easily-accessible red-pill content advertised to kids, especially through social media. The confluence of naivety and media ignorance makes young users a common target for misinformation.
However, these happenings aren’t solely affecting children. When people encounter new information, they tend to focus on understanding it rather than verifying its legitimacy, per the American Psychological Association. Moreover, users are more susceptible to believing misinformation if it aligns with their pre-existing beliefs or stirs their emotions. “We often fall for [misinformation] because it’s done so well,” said Florida A&M University Digital Journalism Professor Arionne Nettles. Nettles further explained the proneness to believe misinformation, intertwined with the technological advancement of AI. “In the past, someone could easily look up information with a quick Google search. Now, Google is going to give you an automatic AI answer that pulls from everything. It’s pulling from misinformation and real information that can give you the wrong answer,” she told GU. Using this knowledge, conducting thorough research is essential when seeking new findings on the internet. It’s no longer sufficient to accept a search query like Google as presented.
Considering the constant dissemination of information, how does one become media literate? According to Nettles, first, there’s power in recognizing that media literacy is a learned skill. “Find a few reliable media sources that you can use to fact-check other information that you read elsewhere,” Nettles explained. Additionally, when researching news, it’s necessary to authenticate sources. “Remember that if a story is huge, more than one outlet is going to report on it. Before sharing it, pause and see where it’s published.” However, the guiding principle of media literacy is relative to permitting yourself to fact-check sources, while remaining undogmatic when conducting research. “If you can’t confirm where a piece of information came from, don’t share it. It’s not worth it.”