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An article exploring media literacy, co-written by 2023 SUNY Fredonia graduate Grace Quinlivan and Department of Communication Associate Professor Angela McGowan-Kirsch, has been published in a leading communication pedagogy journal.

“Educating emerging citizens: Media literacy as a tool for combating the spread of image-based misinformation,” which was the culmination of Ms. Quinlivan’s Honors Advanced Learning Project at SUNY Fredonia, appears in Communication Teacher.

In the manuscript, Dr. McGowan-Kirsch and Quinlivan argue that the proliferation of deepfakes and visual misinformation, coupled with the fast-paced nature of social media, has prompted an increased need for media literacy skills among emerging citizens. The article presents an overview of a media literacy framework for engaged citizenship and presents media literacy strategies that emerging citizens can use when confronted with mis/disinformation on social media.

“Researching and writing this article with Dr. McGowan-Kirsch was an extremely informative and rewarding experience,” said Quinlivan, of West Seneca, NY. “Through Dr. McGowan-Kirsch’s guidance and mentorship I learned a great deal about the research process and synthesizing scholarship.”

The approaches they examine included the SIFT Method – a series of actions to determine the validity and reliability of claims and sources on the web – and a four-step process for debunking misinformation.

By conducting an on-campus workshop, McGowan-Kirsch and Quinlivan found that as students participate in a media literacy unit activity, which is focused on debunking deepfakes and halting the spread of mis/disinformation, they acquire tools for discerning truth and learning how to think critically before responding to and advancing the spread of misinformation.

To read the article, visit .

“This experience made me a much more effective researcher and writer which has allowed me to flourish in my current pursuit of a master’s degree in Strategic Communication at SUNY Oswego,” Quinlivan noted. “This unique opportunity will continue to guide me through my degree and on to my future professional career as a communications, PR or marketing specialist/manager.”

At SUNY Fredonia, Quinlivan earned a bachelor’s degree in International Studies and was enrolled in the Honors Program, which serves academically motivated students in their pursuit for meaningful opportunities for in-depth, interdisciplinary learning, as well as for leadership and professional development.

Communication Teacher, a Taylor & Francis Online journal, publishes original scholarship that considers the practice and assessment of the teaching of communication across K-12 and in higher education and other educational contexts.