Developing Critical Thinking Skills with National News Literacy Week
- February 4, 2026
- By Alice Knisley Matthias
In an age of constant buzzes and dings on phones that deliver news information and updates to stories, it can be difficult to follow the news, understand it and decide what seems like accurate information.
At any moment of the day information is available that can include well-known people making bold statements or funny videos of cats jumping on chandeliers and crashing through dining room tables. How do you know what is real and what is AI-generated content?
Students and families can learn how to find credible news and information they can trust with the seventh annual National News Literacy Week (Feb. 2-6) and have discussions about how information is made available today.
Presented by The News Literacy Project, The E.W. Scripps Company, USA TODAY and USA TODAY Network, the week is designed to give educators, students and families free tools and resources to explore how to judge for themselves what information is available and how to find news that is presented with accuracy and free of judgement.
According to a press release from Charles Salter, president and CEO of the News Literacy Project, “Gen Z and Gen Alpha need to learn how to confidently navigate through a sea of AI-slop and viral rumors that fill their needs. National News Literacy Week is an opportunity for educators to equip their students with the skills they need to make informed decisions about what to trust.”
What is news literacy?
The idea of news literacy is the ability to determine the content and credibility of available news and information. It is an essential 21st-century skill to have with a constant wave of information presented through print, audio and screens for news consumption.
When the news starts to feel overwhelming and confusing it becomes difficult for many young people to digest the information and that can lead to distrust in the process of staying informed and engaged with current events.
According to a recent The News Literacy Project study, 84% of U.S. young people hold negative views of the press, often referring to journalism as misleading or inaccurate.
“Today’s young people are inheriting a world where truth has to fight harder than ever to be heard,” says Adam Symson, Scripps president and CEO in a press release.
Students who learn the skills to navigate news and media literacy report higher trust in the press and are more likely to follow news sources to stay informed about stories and reports from their neighborhood to world events.
Local journalism plays a critical role in helping readers understand what’s happening in their communities, their state, nation and the world. Learning how to evaluate information critically is essential to building trust in the source of news reporting.
The goal of National News Week is to help develop the skills to recognize facts and make confident choices to develop a healthy and engaging skepticism to ask questions with the information available in the form of news content.
News literacy skills help young people understand the importance of being able to recognize the credibility of available news information and how it plays a role in society and a healthy, functioning democracy.
