Propaganda education: How can students learn to distinguish truth from lies?

I cannot think of a more urgent education topic than this one. So many adults are so bad at distinguishing facts from falsehoods, lies, and propaganda distortions. How can we expect students to be any better?

Worse, how can such a talent be taught to kids in the midst of our culture wars, when any information that casts any doubt on powerful ideologies is considered itself to be bias, regardless of whether it is true? The war on "wokeness" has no limits and the full power of the federal govt behind it. We are finding out what real cancel culture is. (This is not to deny that left wing cancel culture is real, too. But power and reach are what make censorship so dangerous, not just intent.)

Anway, look back here the week before our mtg for some background readings about HOW telling truth from lies and everything in between can be taught to young people. The issue has been studied for years, and recent events have no doubt caused educators and others to redouble their quest to find a way to help students navigate the information and disinformation superhighway and anti-social media (i.e., social networks that let you/encourage you to shrink your empathy down to only others that already agree with you - no matter how crackpot their views are).

Optional Backgrounders –

• TBA.