Disinformation. Propaganda. Media outlets that feed our fears and biases. The modern barrage of information has polarized our politics, divided our communities, and threatened our democratic way of life. How can we navigate our modern media landscape with discernment and understanding? Join us for a film screening and public discussion on that very topic.
At 5:30 pm on Feb. 22, the Sheldon Museum of Art, 12th and R streets, will screen the award-winning documentary “Trust Me.” The feature-length documentary explores how media technology influences society and what we can do about it.
Following the screening, Civic Nebraska’s director of public policy Heidi Uhing will lead a Q&A with filmmaker Rosemary Smith, managing director of the Getting Better Foundation, which produced the film.
“Trust Me” features stories from around the world where a lack of media literacy devolved into crises. Interviews from world-renowned experts explain why people are drawn to sensational and negative news, and how commercial media often capitalizes on our biases along with their opinions.
A media literacy expert, Smith is Montana’s state lead for Media Literacy Now and envoy to the U.S. State Department’s American Film Showcase. She manages the global distribution of “Trust Me,” and the film’s educational curriculum in partnership with the News Literacy Project.
The screening and Q&A are free and open to the public.
The event and Smith’s visit comes as the Nebraska Legislature hears testimony on the Media Literacy Act, a bill to add media literacy requirements for public school students. The bill is LB1371, introduced by State Sen. Tony Vargas of Omaha, and would add K-12 media literacy programs in Nebraska schools starting in 2025; by 2027, at least one three-credit high-school media literacy course would be required before graduation. Civic Nebraska supports LB1371.
The Legislature’s Education Committee will listen to public comments on LB1371 at 1:30 pm on Feb. 20 in Room 1525 of the Nebraska State Capitol. Submit your comments online by 8 am CST on Feb. 20.
The Feb. 22 Sheldon screening of “Trust Me” is presented in conjunction with the exhibition “(In)credible: Exploring Trust and Misperceptions,” on view at the museum through July 6.
