Combating misinformation and disinformation has become an everyday challenge. Developing the skills to evaluate and manage these false claims is necessary now more than ever.
As artificial intelligence plays a prominent role in consumed content, it is becoming more difficult to spot false, misleading and biased information. In a 2023 poll by global media company Morning Consult, a survey of more than 10,000 people in the United States and United Kingdom showed that nearly three-fourths were not very confident in identifying misinformation. The same poll found about half of the respondents believe they come across false or misleading images weekly.
Florida State University’s Jennifer Proffitt, the Theodore Clevenger Professor in Communication, is an expert in media literacy. Her research focuses on media ownership, labor issues in the newspaper and digital industries, media regulation and its history, alternative media and media literacy.
Proffitt teaches the following courses at FSU: Political Economy of Communications, News Media Ethics, Media and Society, Media History and Theory, and Critical Media Studies. Her research has appeared in publications including the Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, Journal of Radio & Audio Media, Journal of Communication Inquiry and the Journal of Mass Media Ethics.
Proffitt says that expanding media literacy instruction in schools enables students to approach content with greater discernment.
“There should be a greater push for media literacy curriculum in schools,” Proffitt said. “Media literacy needs to start at an early age so that students are aware of the issues. Awareness is key to creating change.”
Media seeking an interview with Professor Proffitt on the importance of media literacy may reach out to her via email at jennifer.proffitt@cci.fsu.edu.
Jennifer Proffitt, Theodore Clevenger Professor of Communication, College of Communication and Information
What are some of the issues that you feel harm today’s media landscape the most?
Concentrated ownership of media and who owns the media are two of the most important issues that harm today’s media landscape. We see this most intensely in the news industry and the decline of newspapers. According to Medill’s 2025 State of Local News report, since 2005, nearly 40% of all local newspapers have closed; over 130 newspapers closed in the past year alone. The decrease is partly due to advertising shifting from print newspapers to digital spaces. But when fewer companies — particularly hedge funds and private equity — own more media, we see a decrease in diversity of content and coverage of local issues and an increased focus on squeezing as much money as possible from these outlets.
With each merger and acquisition, journalists are the first to go. That leaves fewer reporters to cover community, state and national issues. Why does this matter? The loss of newspapers has created news deserts across the country. Without journalists holding power to account in these communities, citizens are left in the dark. As people turn to social media for news, misinformation and disinformation often spread unchecked. The standards journalists follow — objectivity, fact checking and professional ethics — are not the same standards held by social media platforms and users.
What are some of the key aspects of media literacy that everyone could benefit from?
There are at least three key aspects of media literacy that everyone could benefit from.
- Understanding how media content is created — including how filters and editing tools can distort reality, how algorithms influence what we see, and how to recognize AI-generated deepfakes and use AI responsibly.
- Understanding the social, economic and political context of media — such as ownership, regulation and the role of advertising.
- Understanding media’s effects — including how media can shape our perceptions of ourselves, others and the world.