March 2020

in the darkest times i've seen us become our brightest. standing on balconies and singing to the empty streets below us. we manage to crack jokes in the saddest times. put the vulnerable before us. dance in hospitals to keep ourselves going. risk our bodies to heal the sick.

sometimes. it takes a crisis to remember our lives depend on each other.

- rupi kaur

Hello!

I wish I could reach out to you individually to see how you, your loved ones and your communities are doing. When I emailed you way back on March 16 ^th , the phrases “social distancing”, “flatten the curve”, and “shelter in place” were just being introduced into the cultural conversation. It’s amazing how things have changed in just two weeks. To be living at this moment, to be a witness to this global crisis is overwhelming, frightening, and humbling all at the same time. I am often reminded by people outside NYC that I am in fact living in the epicenter of the crisis right now. I can tell you from where I sit it doesn’t feel like it. My family is still healthy, my grocery store is still stocked, and the streets of downtown Manhattan are quiet. This makes me feel lucky but also unbelievably helpless. When my city suffered after 9/11, I could help. I could lend a hand to my fellow New Yorkers. Now, my contribution is to stay away from them. It is all so strange. In times of strife, humans gather. We must find other ways to help and comfort each other. 

Because of the instinct to connect and the distance we are forced to keep, I’ve been thinking a lot about how this crisis may fundamentally shift the way many people think about technology. Over the years, I’ve had endless conversations with parents about their concerns about kids and technology. “ They’re addicted to their phones .” “ They text all day and night .” “ They don’t socialize anymore. ” I’ve urged parents to understand the connections their children are making and the “social” part of social media. We now find ourselves in a situation where the tools we once criticized are now the ones we depend on. 

I can’t visit my mother in N.J. but I can FaceTime her every single day. I can’t read side by side with my niece but I can read with her over video call.  I can hear my cousin’s voice from Northern Italy on a daily basis on her video updates via Facebook. My son’s band may not be able to perform together right now but I hear him laughing with them every night from his room. These tools are keeping us connected, social, and together. Beyond the personal connection, technology is also allowing our communities to mobilize, governments to communicate, journalists to report and medical professionals to do their lifesaving work. The world is suffering right now. There is no doubt. Can you imagine though what it would be like without the help of the incredible advancements in technology, medicine and science over the past decades? For historical perspective, I highly recommend the recent episode of NPR’s Throughline entitled 1918 Flu . We are in a better position to fight this pandemic than ever before. 

At NAMLE, we find ourselves once again face to face with the critical need for media literacy. The ability to access, analyze, evaluate, create and act using all forms of communication has never been more important. Lives are literally at stake and our work, while not on the front line, is a part of the picture that needs to be talked about. Mis- information breeds misunderstanding and mistrust. In a health crisis, this is incredibly dangerous. We must do our part. 

NEW NAMLE RESOURCE PAGE: We’ve curated a collection of resources exclusively from our Organizational Partners designed to support educators, parents, and students during the pandemic lockdown. Don't forget about the additional resource page which includes even more resources for fighting misinformation around COVID-19, support for online resources, and links to free media literacy resources. Both pages will continue to be updated.

MEDIA LITERACY ALLIANCE: We weren't able to gather in Washington, D.C. on March 24, but we were able to bring together the American Library Association, International Society for Technology in Education, Journalism Education Association, National Association for Education of Young Children, National Council for the Social Studies, National Council of Teachers for English, National Council for Teachers of Mathematics, National Science Teaching Association, National Writing Project and PBS Education via Zoom to discuss media literacy efforts across disciplines. The meeting gave us a chance to meet and discuss efforts to strengthen media literacy education through collaboration and partnership.

RESEARCH PROJECT: On February 29, we gathered a small group of researchers at the University of Texas, Austin to explore the possibilities of research around the question "What is the state of media literacy in the U.S.?" Thank you to Erin Reilly, NAMLE Board Past President for hosting and helping plan the day with Sherri Hope Culver. Thanks to the following people for joining the discussion:

We will be sharing more details about the plans for the project later in the spring.

We will continue to forge ahead with our work in these uncertain times, hoping that we are able to contribute in some small way to the greater good. Please feel free to reach out and let us know if we can be of assistance as you navigate this time. My thoughts are with you.

In solidarity,

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