HomeNews Access and Literacy Task Force

Purpose

To promote the collective actions necessary to advance equity and justice in Colorado’s systems and policies in issue areas aligned with League positions.

The News Access & Literacy Task Force's purpose is to inform and engage members across the state to promote collective actions around our access to news and important matters related to news literacy as they are strongly aligned with a stated League position(s). By increasing the understanding and importance of this issue through education, this Task Force hopes to influence public policy and legislation at all levels through advocacy, while speaking with one League voice.

Committee Chair: Linda Hutchinson

The News Access & Literacy Task Force coordinates with local Leagues and other organizations advocating for policies in this area. They will organize webinars, workshops and presentations on major topics of interest within the subject area and promote justice and equity through advocacy at all levels of government. They are closely aligned with the efforts of the LWVCO Legislative Action Committee and the LWVUS to ensure cohesion.

Meeting Information

TO VIEW the last News Access & Literacy meeting on April 30, 2024 click here.

TO REGISTER for our next meeting on August 20, 2024 at 4:30 pm, click here.

VOTER VOICES 2024

Colorado Newsrooms are Seeking 'Voter Voices'

Photo by Kevin J. Beaty, A newsman casts a ballot, Nov. 6, 2017.

Last week, Colorado Public Radio and a coalition of more than two dozen newsrooms across Colorado launchedVoter Voices 2024— an ambitious effort to "flip" elections coverage from a top-down to a bottom-up approach — coordinated by the Colorado News Collaborative, with support from CMP and training and tools from Hearken.

Through an online survey and 1:1 conversations across the state, journalists will "reach out to voters and learn what they want candidates to focus on, the issues they are most concerned with in this election, and how much trust they have — or don’t — in the system itself," according to CPR's Megan Verlee.

VOTER VOICES 2024

READ THE FULL STORY FROM COREY HUTCHINS

News about the News

OPINION
Reimagining the Public Square: Coloradans Deserve Better, Melissa Milios Davis, Martin Carcasson, The Colorado Sun

Consider this a public call for partners to join Colorado community newsrooms to reclaim and reimagine the way we engage in civil discourse.
CLICK HERE TO READ

Hutchins' year in review:
The news behind the news in Colorado's media world in 2023, Corey Hutchins, The Colorado Sun
CLICK HERE TO READ

Corey Hutchins:
Inside the news in Colorado
CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE

Press Forward Colorado
A monthly newsletter from Colorado Media Project
CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE

Announcements

LWVCO ADOPTS LOCAL NEWS POSITION

The League of Women Voters of Colorado has adopted the following local news position by concurrence.
This position was made possible through the work of the League of Women Voters of Washington. LWVCO recognizes LWVWA for their dedication to local news and the ideal of an informed citizenry.

LOCAL NEWS POSITION

Position in Brief

The League of Women Voters of Colorado believes it is the responsibility of the government to provide support for conditions under which credible local journalism can survive and thrive.

The League of Women Voters of Colorado defines local news as accurate, in-depth coverage of government entities, including but not limited to, city councils, county councils, county boards of commissioners, health departments, schools, and school boards.

POSITION

Local News (2023)

LN - 1: The League of Women Voters of Colorado supports credible and ethical local journalism, in whatever format it is published, as essential to our democracy.

LN - 2: The League of Women Voters of Colorado supports efforts to ensure everyone has access to information necessary for casting an informed ballot and believes that credible local news sources are integral to this pursuit.
LN – 3: The League of Women Voters of Colorado believes that support for the viability of local news may take a variety of forms. Control of the content must remain exclusively with the news organizations.
LN – 4: The League of Women Voters of Colorado also believes media literacy and news education, including support for journalism students, are essential. These opportunities should be expanded in schools and throughout communities.

LN – 5: The League of Women Voters of Colorado believes that everyone should have access to comprehensive, credible local news and that barriers to access should be removed. These barriers include, but are not limited to, geography, economic status, and education.

NEWS ACCESS AND LITERACY ADDED TO LWVCO'S MAKING DEMOCRACY WORK®

In 2022, delegates to the LWVCO Annual Meeting adopted a resolution adding “News Access and Literacy for Civic Participation” to their MDW® Campaign.

RESOLUTION HIGHLIGHTS:
Whereas, LWV believes an informed citizenry is integral to democracy;

Whereas, the spread of news deserts throughout the United States negatively impacts LWV principles, positions, and values;

Whereas, LWV previously agreed the issue of news access and literacy was fundamental to the campaign of MDW® (Impact on Issues, 2020-2022, pg.17);

Whereas, the Larimer County LWV believes that ensuring news access and literacy is the substrate that will strengthen and broaden our campaign for MDW® by empowering citizens to fulfill their designated role in the decision-making process;

Be it resolved that the Larimer County LWV respectfully submits that “News Access and Literacy for Civic Participation” be added to the Colorado LWV campaign of Making Democracy Work ®.

LWVCO MAKING DEMOCRACY WORK PAGE

News Access and Literacy Tools and Resources

RECOMMENDED REFERENCES

Ghosting the News: Local Journalism and the Crisis of American Democracy, Margaret Sullivan (book)

Storm Lake: Change, Resilience, and Hope in America's Heartland, Art Cullen (book)

PEN America: LOSING THE NEWS

COLAB: Introducing the Colorado News Mapping Project, Corey Hutchins

Colorado Media Project: Local News is a Public Good

Colorado Media Project: 2022 Survey of Statewide Attitudes Toward State & Local Media

Colorado Media Project: Reimagining Colorado's Public Square

Think Before You Share, Cassidy Davis, The Journal (serving Cortez, Mancos, Dolores)

COLAB: Amplify Colorado, An online guide to help newsrooms find diverse sources and community members to find local reporters

Rebuild Local News, Safeguarding Against Pink Slime, Steven Waldman and Anna Brugmann

There's Already a Solution to the Crisis of Local News. Just Ask This Founding Father. Steven Waldman, Politico

Why Losing Our News is Breaking Our Politics, Matthew P. Hitt, Joshua Darr, Johanna Dunaway, Scientific American

League of Women Voters: Democracy, Disinformation, and Distrust: Building Citizen Capacity to Impact

News Literacy Project: Confirmation bias/motivated reasoning

Beyond Fake News: Finding Truth in a World of Misinformation, Justin P. McBrayer (book)

More Money and Fewer Readers: The Paradox of Subscriber Journalism, Jack Shafer, Politico

Nieman Lab: Hundreds of Hyperpartisan Sites are Masquerading as Local News. Jessica Mahone and Philip Napoli

League of Women Voters of Washington, The Decline of Local News and Its Impact on Democracy

When are Lies Constitutionally Protected?, Eugene Volokh, Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University

Nieman Storyboard: If Journalism is Part of the Problem, Can it Be Part of the Solution?, Lauren Kessler

Tools for Spotting Disinformation

Every day, Americans are bombarded with news and information from television, radio, newspapers, and social media.

This abundance has created unprecedented challenges to being well-informed. How truthful is our news? How can we tell fact from opinion? Are we hearing and passing along information that is reliable?

The League of Women Voters encourages everyone to become more news literate. We’ve gathered a wide variety of carefully vetted resources, designed to help you determine the credibility and reliability of your news sources.

Please visit our News Literacy page.

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION

As Lincoln reminded the nation in his Gettysburg Address, ours is a government “of the people, by the people, for the people.” Government exists for our benefit and is accountable to us, its citizens.

Regardless of what label an access law is given—“sunshine,” freedom of information, or transparency—the premise behind its inception is that everyday people have the right to know what actions their government is taking. The League of Women Voters believes that transparency and accountability are in the interest of the government and citizens alike. When government decision-making is transparent, greater understanding is reached and better accountability is ensured.

Please visit our Freedom of Information page.

News Literacy: Essential For Democracy

WEEK 1: January 26, 2024
Climate deniers are changing their strategy and the anti-science movement continues to spread disinformation.

WEEK 2: February 2, 2024
News literacy tip: What do you do when you come across information that seems questionable?

WEEK 3: February 8, 2024
Learn how to spot AI-generated images by using the tried-and-true media literacy skill known as SIFT.

To watch No local news: The crisis facing democracy - Insights from journalists covering Colorado, click here.

This meeting was hosted by the News Access and Literacy Task Force and featured Andy Smith, Editorial Page Editor of the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel, and Michael de Yoanna, Editor-in-Chief of Colorado Community Media. Our guests shared their personal experiences that reflect the health of the local news industry, evaluated the future of the local news industry, and give their recommendations for local news presentation in the future.

In February, the News Access and Literacy Task Force invited Jeff Roberts, CEO of the Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition, to speak about the use of quadratic voting and secret surveys and upcoming transparency legislation.

To watch Sunshine and Shadows: Balancing the need for public awareness with government efficiency," click here.

RECOMMENDED REFERENCES

To watch the recording of Fake News Marketplace: How it Works and Why it Matters with Dr. Justin McBrayer, click here.

Join here!

Purpose

Meeting Information

VOTER VOICES 2024

News about the News

Announcements

NEWS ACCESS AND LITERACY ADDED TO LWVCO'S MAKING DEMOCRACY WORK®

News Access and Literacy Tools and Resources

RECOMMENDED REFERENCES

Tools for Spotting Disinformation

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION

News Literacy: Essential For Democracy

Past Events

RECOMMENDED REFERENCES

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