Definitions

To effectively navigate the burgeoning information landscape and to decipher misinformation and disinformation, there are several types of literacy necessary. While there is significant overlap in the approaches outlined in the resources included, this list is intended to uplift resources that focus primarily on media literacy. 

Digital literacy is the ability to use information and communication technologies to find, evaluate, create, and communicate information, requiring both cognitive and technical skills.” (The American Library Association)

Information literacy is a set of abilities requiring individuals to recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information. (The American Library Association) 

Media literacy is the ability to encode and decode the symbols transmitted via media and synthesize, analyze and produce mediated messages. (National Association of Media Literacy Educators) 

News Literacy is the ability to determine the credibility of news and other information and to recognize the standards of fact-based journalism to know what to trust, share and act on. (News Literacy Project) 

Metaliteracy is an overarching framework that builds upon information literacy, but adds new components, or places a greater emphasis on certain elements. Metaliteracy prepares "learners to engage in the information environment as active, self-reflective, and critical contributors to the collaborative spaces" that characterize our social media age (Metaliteracy 2014, p.14). Metaliteracy also emphasizes metacognition, or thinking about one's own thinking and learning. Metaliterate individuals continually reflect on their roles as learners and producers in today's information-rich, participatory, collaborative environment, spurring further learning and development. (https://www.trudijacobson.com/metaliteracy)