We’ve all heard them – cries of fake news and attacks on legitimate journalists who are just doing their jobs in extraordinary times.
In the age of social media and the 24-hour news cycle, it has become increasingly difficult to sort fact from fiction.
But here’s what we know: quality journalism is the bedrock of our democracy.
Journalists play an important role in our society; they shine light on elected officials, bringing accountability to government at all levels. They tell stories that provoke thought and spur action; they breed empathy and knowledge.
At Price Lang, we have a saying: Your story matters.
The stories journalists tell matter too, and now, we’re putting our money where our mouths are.
In honor of our 10th year in business, Charlie and I are teaming up with the University of Central Oklahoma to form a graduate level endowed media literacy fellowship. In conjunction with UCO faculty, the endowment will provide funding for an annual research project around media literacy across all media platforms. We’ll study social media, traditional media, video media literacy, and other forms of communication as they shape our electorate, inform public opinion and impact our way of life. That research will be publicly available, so it can be used to create programming to improve media literacy in Oklahoma.
Charlie and I were proud to give the endowment its start, contributing $10,000 in honor of our 10th year as a company. Our goal is to multiply that seed money x10 – but we need your help.
If you believe as we do – that media literacy matters – please contribute what you can. Our hope is that the research that comes from this project will serve as the foundation for building a better understanding of what constitutes credible news – and what is simply noise.
If you can give, please visit www.centralconnection.org/pricelang.
Thank you for considering this important cause. Quality journalism matters. Let’s protect it – for this generation and the next.
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