Skip to Main Content

Media Literacy - COMM 120

Glossary

Agenda-setting The idea that what the public thinks about is set by what the media chooses to cover - related to Framing and Priming
Confirmation bias The tendency to believe information is credible if it matches the reader/viewer's existing belief system
Content farm / Content mill A company that employs a staff of freelance writers to create content designed to attract views and get advertising revenue
Echo chamber When information, ideas, or beliefs are reinforced by repetition within a closed system
Fact checking The act of verifying assertions
False equivalence / False balance A logical fallacy where there appears to be equivalence between two opposing arguments. It can refer to the practice of journalists who, in their zeal to be fair, present each side of a debate as equally credible, even when the factual evidence is stacked heavily on one side.
Filter bubble When search tools give results we are likely to click on or share based on our past activity
Framing How something is presented to the audience influences the choices people make about how to process that information - related to Agenda-setting and Priming
Herding phenomenon As more sources begin to cover a story, even more journalists are likely to join the herd, often reinforcing the initial angle of the story
Native advertising Paid, sponsored content designed to look like legitimate content produced by the media outlet
Priming Media reporting provides a context for public discussion of an issue - related to Agenda-setting and Framing
Rhetological Fallacies Term created as part of the Knowledge Is Beautiful project to describe both rhetorical techniques and logical fallacies. Interactive infographic here: https://informationisbeautiful.net/visualizations/rhetological-fallacies/
Satisficing The tendency of people to select "good enough" information over optimal information
Triangulation or cross verification Establishing validity by examining multiple perspectives and sources
Virality The rapid circulation of media from one user to another

 

Some information adapted from "Truth, Truthiness, Triangulation: A News Literacy Toolkit for a 'Post-Truth' World." School Library Journal blog. 26 Nov. 2016