One of the institute’s primary areas of focus is educating the public about digital and media literacy. Media literacy focuses on one’s interactions with mass media and their ability to critically analyze said media through accuracy and credibility. In partnership with Fresno State, the institute has had the opportunity to host, sponsor, and collaborate on numerous events, such as NewsTrain, First Amendment Forum, and Constitution Day.
In March, 2023, the institute partnered with CMAC to pilot its first “Your Brain on Social Media” presentation at the Fresno Woodward Park Regional Library. The interactive and informative media literacy workshop focused on the impacts of social media on one’s brain circuitry, decision making, and the way one sees the world. Attendees gave themselves a “social media test” to better understand their own relationship with social media and learned about the latest research into how younger generations are being impacted by social media — and what the adults in their world could be doing to protect them. The workshop was led by professors in Fresno State’s Media, Communications, & Journalism program, in association with the Institute for Media & Public Trust and in partnership with CMAC.
Preview some of the institute’s latest articles about social media literacy that explore the ways in which social media is actively shaping society today.
Institute for Media and Public Trust at Fresno State 