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Media Literacy

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Commentary
America May Not Be Ready for the Looming Tsunami of Deepfakes
Images and videos have been falsified since the first photographs were taken. But deepfakes are fundamentally different. Their realism, and the scale and ease with which they can be produced, make them incredibly potent disinformation tools.
Nov 10, 2022
Essay
Improving Media Literacy in Middle School
Middle schoolers can be savvy users of news and information—when they know where to look. But they're also easy marks for misinformation, disinformation, and trolls. Helping them find their way in today's media landscape is important both for their futures and for the future of democracy.
Sep 6, 2022

Explore Media Literacy

Blog
Vaccine Hesitancy, Working from Home, Arctic Diplomacy: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on vaccine hesitancy as a symptom of ‘Truth Decay,’ how to make remote work beneficial for all, U.S. Arctic diplomacy, and more.
May 21, 2021
Commentary
How Truth Decay Is Fueling Vaccine Hesitancy
A recent poll found that more than a quarter of Americans will not try to get vaccinated. The spread of misinformation and disinformation, which is rampant over social media, is one of the factors fueling vaccine hesitancy. And in turn, it's threatening our ability to end the pandemic for good.
May 14, 2021
Project
Truth Decay: Causes, Consequences, and Solutions
The United States is experiencing an era of
Mar 26, 2021
Project
Explore Truth Decay Research and Commentary by Topic
From how disinformation spreads online to Americans' trust in democratic institutions, RAND researchers are studying a wide range of topics related to Truth Decay—the diminishing role of facts in U.S. public life.
Mar 23, 2021
Commentary
Giving Teachers the Tools They Need to Provide 21st-Century Civic Education
The Capitol attack has rightly led to many calls for teachers to address civic education in a much more robust way in their classrooms. However, a national survey of social studies teachers suggests that teachers lack the critical training and incentives to do so.
Feb 23, 2021
Blog
Keeping COVID-19 Vaccines Moving, the Capitol Attack, Media Literacy: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on keeping COVID-19 vaccines moving to save more lives; why we need a national commission to investigate the U.S. Capitol attack; media literacy as a tool to counter “Truth Decay,” and more.
Jan 22, 2021
Report
Media Literacy Standards to Counter Truth Decay
Media literacy may be a powerful tool against Truth Decay, the diminishing role of facts in public life. What standards could help teachers, policymakers, and others implement media literacy education more effectively?
Jan 19, 2021
Blog
RAND Commentary Highlights of 2020
The roughly 400 op-eds and blog posts published by RAND researchers during the year reflected an enormous variety of expertise and perspectives, from remote education to election cybersecurity to the economic harms of racial disparities. Here are 10 highlights that landed in high-profile news outlets.
Dec 18, 2020
Article
Want to Rebuild Public Trust? Focus on Civic Education
Truth Decay—the diminishing role of facts in American public life—has led to political paralysis, the erosion of civil discourse, and widespread uncertainty. Investing in civic education could help turn the tide.
Dec 8, 2020
Blog
Restoring Public Trust, COVID-19 and Thanksgiving, Vaccinating Teachers: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on how the Biden-Harris administration can restore public trust, the risk of Thanksgiving becoming a super-spreader event, why teachers should be among the first to get a COVID19 vaccination, and more.
Nov 26, 2020
Commentary
Putting America's Civic Infrastructure on the Biden-Harris Agenda
Much like our bridges and roads, America's civic infrastructure has been allowed to crumble. This has allowed Truth Decay to set in. The new administration can begin to repair the deep fissures in our society by explicitly and implicitly rehabilitating the nation's civic infrastructure.
Nov 19, 2020
Report
The Drivers of Institutional Trust and Distrust
Trust in the government, news media, and other institutions has declined in the past two decades. What factors might explain this decline? And what else do we need to learn in order to begin rebuilding public trust?
Nov 17, 2020
Commentary
Three Under-the-Radar Lessons from COVID-19
COVID-19 has sculpted into high relief already recognized societal problems, which could be addressed once COVID-19 passes. Failure to do so could be a failure to learn the meta-lessons from COVID-19.
Nov 2, 2020
Essay
The Importance of Teaching Civic Responsibility in America
A survey of civics and social studies teachers asked what they teach, how they teach it, and what they think students need to know. Most said their students absolutely need to learn to be tolerant of different people and groups. And they want their students to see themselves as global citizens.
Oct 29, 2020
Commentary
Think Tanks in the Era of Truth Decay
Truth Decay is the diminishing role of facts and analysis in American public life, and it cuts much deeper than any political party or demographic. It's why nonpartisan think tanks like RAND are as important now as they have ever been.
Oct 22, 2020
Report
Facebook Users May Spread Russian Propaganda Less Often If They Know Its Source
Russian propaganda is hitting its mark on social media, generating strong partisan reactions that help intensify political divisions. But Facebook users are less apt to press the like button on content when they learn that it is part of a foreign propaganda campaign.
Oct 15, 2020
Commentary
Police Officers: This Article Will Make You Better at Combatting Misinformation
By deliberately addressing misinformation, police officers can promote safe and healthy behaviors among those in their communities. The actions they take to combat misinformation and improve protections in their communities are a critical part of the collective campaign to end the pandemic and help people return to their normal lives.
Aug 24, 2020
Report
Social Studies Teachers' Perspectives on Key Civic Outcomes in 2010 and 2019
High school social studies teachers play an important role in fostering the civic knowledge, skills, and dispositions that students need to thrive after graduation. How have these teachers' perspectives on student civic development changed from 2010 to 2019?
Aug 3, 2020
Commentary
How You Can Fight Russia's Plans to Troll Americans During Campaign 2020
The goal of Russian interference is to trigger emotional reactions and drive people to ideological extremes, making it nearly impossible to build a consensus. But Americans are less likely to have their emotions manipulated if they are aware that manipulation is the goal.
Jul 14, 2020
Blog
Preparing for a COVID Surge, Reducing Police Violence, Media Literacy in Schools: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on helping hospitals prepare for a surge in COVID-19 infections, an approach to reducing police violence, teachers' concerns about students' media literacy, and more.
Jul 2, 2020

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Research conducted by

RAND Education and Labor

Researcher Spotlight

Alice Huguet

Codirector, Center for Qualitative and Mixed Methods

Alice Huguet is codirector of the Center for Qualitative and Mixed Methods and a policy researcher focused on K–12 education at the RAND Corporation. She studies policies that influence the academic and life opportunities of students who have been historically underserved by educational…
Keytin Palmer

Ph.D. Student, Pardee RAND Graduate School, and Assistant Policy Researcher, RAND

Keytin Palmer (he/they) is an assistant policy researcher at RAND and a Ph.D. student in the Technology Applications and Implications stream at the Pardee RAND Graduate School. He has an M.Sc. in political psychology from Queen’s University Belfast and a B.A. in psychology from New College of…

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