HANOVER, VA - This is National News Literacy Week.
CBS 6’s parent company Scripps News is once again teaming up with the News Literacy Project to shine a light on the important work of local teachers helping students understand the importance of discerning false information from the facts.
At Hanover High School, TV Programming and Production Instructor Brian Capaldo teaches students the ins-and-outs of what you see on your screens.
This school year, a big focus of learning is on sports, including everything to broadcast a basketball game.
There are cameras and commentators.
There are good shots and graphics.
Things that 11th grader Lucy Geene is loving to learn.
"Especially like film and TV”, says Lucy. “Watching it and kind of knowing behind the scenes. Like, what goes down and also knowing this is how they did that."
Mr. Capaldo wants his TV-99 students to be prepared in case they go into any broadcasting or newsgathering job. Part of that is discerning if the information they’re gathering from other sources online or on television are legit.
"It really couldn't be more important”, says Capaldo, “especially if you're making important decisions based on the information."
As part of a roundtable discussion, Mr. Capaldo invited CBS 6 This Morning’s Rob Cardwell to talk with his students.
He broke down the dangers of false information in the media.
For instance, he talked about how misinformation can affect even the sports reporting they’re learning.
He explained how inaccurate information in professional sports can affect how people bet on games.
Or how false information on a player’s injuries could change a team’s gameplans.
Mr. Capaldo believes lessons like these can help the students no matter what career they pursue.
“If you don't have good info coming in, it makes it really difficult to make good decisions coming out", says Capaldo.
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