Reuters announced today it will host the kick-off event for U.S. Media Literacy Week, in partnership with the National Association of Media Literacy Educators (NAMLE). The virtual event will bring together journalists, educators and students to discuss the critical importance of media literacy in society and combatting misinformation. During the interactive virtual event on October 26, sessions will explore fact-checking ahead of the U.S. election, the challenges journalists face in the ever-growing information landscape, identifying media manipulation and how students can develop their own fact-checking skills. Ahead of the Reuters kick-off event, Thomson Reuters and NAMLE have also partnered to launch a media literacy contest for students and classrooms participating in the week's events. The contest asks middle and high school students in the U.S. and Canada to submit a video featuring a real-life example from the news to answer the question: "How did you decide whether a piece of information you saw or heard is trustworthy?". Winning entries will be eligible to receive a 6-month mentorship with a Reuters journalist and classrooms with multiple entries will be entered into a drawing for a $500 classroom grant from Thomson Reuters. Full contest rules and prize information are available at bit.ly/2H8Kt0b [Reuters PR blog post] Media contact: Heather.Carpenter @ thomsonreuters.com
