Media Literacy and What you Need to Know
By Gil Rudawsky, Rockford Gray Partner
In Rockford Gray’s training sessions, we invest a good deal of time on media literacy, debunking myths and helping our clients understand what drives the reporter’s story.
As former journalists, we expect reporters to approach each story with the best intentions, relying on solid sources, proven facts and fairness.
In general, any good reporter will demonstrate the following characteristics:
- Genuine effort to get the story right
- Relentless pursuit of the story
- Skeptical attitude
- Desire to create a coherent narrative
- Obligation to build and maintain credibility
It All Comes Down To One Thing: Credibility
When reporters operate outside these characteristics, make a mistake, or get the story wrong, you have a right – and even a responsibility – to bring this up with the reporter. Reporters are human. Sometimes it’s human error, and it is a simple mistake that can be fixed. Remember, that just because a reporter says something you don’t agree with, doesn’t make it wrong. A mistake is provable with facts.
Here’s what the New York Times says about its corrections policy: “The Times’s primary responsibility is to give readers accurate information, and our readers trust us to do that. By acknowledging our mistakes quickly and transparently, we build on that fundamental trust.” This gets to one of the most valuable currency that journalist have — credibility.
We tell our media training participants that it can take an entire career for journalists to build credibility, and one mistake to tear it all down.
One resource that we use to help us explain fact versus fiction is the Poynter Institute, home to the International Fact-Checking Network, PolitiFact and MediaWise. Whether you’re a fact-checker, journalist or citizen, Poynter can help spot misinformation and disinformation.
Reach out to Rockford Gray to schedule your media training session with us today. Reach out to us at info@rockfordgray.com.
About the author: Gil Rudawsky specializes in issues and reputation management, and crisis communication. He began his career as a reporter in Aspen, Colo., and journalism took him across the country and then back to his native Denver, Colorado, where he worked for the Rocky Mountain News. His journalistic skills – source development, research, credibility, storytelling, and curiosity – remain the foundation of his work with clients. He has experience working on a range of issues across sectors, including federal investigations, corporate and workplace issues, DEI and public advocacy campaigns. He provides expert-level strategic counsel, including on-the-ground support. He is a graduate of the University of Southern California, with a degree in philosophy.