Verification versus assertion

Is that news report based on verified information, or is it merely a commentator's claim? We saw loads of interesting examples showing the difference at the conference I went to last week, News Literacy: Setting a National Agenda. Besides featuring such luminaries as Ted Koppel and Arthur Sulzberger, Jr., chairman and publisher of the New York Times, I learned about all sorts of news literacy resources that should come in handy for folks around these parts. Here are a smattering:

• Project Implicit, a Harvard-based research widget that helps you understand your attitudes, biases, and stereotypes. It was humbling for me to test my own implicit attitudes about aging. Specially since I'm aging.
• News Trust, a news aggregator that features quality news and opinions that are rated by members based on quality, not just popularity. Reviewers are vetted and rated too, before their reviews get top billing.
• The News Literacy Project, which pairs journalists with schools for news literacy instruction. From their theme song: "If your mother says she loves you, check it out, check it out." I even got a button that says "Check it out," which, of course, means something else to me.
• News University, a project that provides online training for journalists. Looks great for high school journalists and even for anyone interested in understanding how news reporting works.
• LinkTV, whose "programs provide a unique perspective on international news, current events, and diverse cultures, presenting issues not often covered in the U.S. media." I was captivated by the Global Pulse section and knowthenews.tv, which actually allows you to remix news. You can edit your own version of the news, using the same video news sources that were gathered from around the world for LinkTV's Global Pulse and Pulse Latino.

Great stuff.