New York's 'media literacy toolkit' will teach K-12 students to spot 'misinformation'

Democratic New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced Tuesday that the state plans to develop a "media literacy toolkit" to help school children identify "misinformation" posted online.

Hochul unveiled a new initiative to combat the "ongoing rise in online hate speech," in part by making a $3 million investment in the state's Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services' Domestic Terrorism Prevention Unit to expand its Threat Assessment and Management team, which will conduct training in all New York colleges and universities. School administrators and professors will be taught to "assess risk and create management plans for individuals on the pathway to violence" and "recognize concerning behaviors and define appropriate escalation protocols." The teams will also create a centralized reporting mechanism to log "concerning behaviors."

"They work to track and stop violent acts of hate before they happen," Hochul said of the state's threat assessment teams.

"They're not looking at your Instagram sunset post or your tweets about your favorite football team," the governor reassured. "They're not here to penalize anyone for their political views. They have a simple goal: to find out what's driving hateful behavior and intervene early before harm is done."

Hochul noted that there are 36 county-based threat assessment teams in the state, and they are currently reviewing over 50 cases.

Additionally, the governor ordered the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services to "develop and distribute a media literacy toolkit to help public school educators teach their students how to spot misinformation/disinformation/malinformation ('MDM') online."

New York's media toolkit "encourage[s] critical thinking" that will help students spot "misinformation." A press release from the governor's office described the toolkit as "age-appropriate" and "ideologically neutral."

In addition to the toolkit, the governor released an "informational guide for parents to help start conversations around the destructive impacts of hate and hate speech with young adults upon their returns home during the holiday season."

Hochul also sent letters to Meta, TikTok, Google, and X, urging the social media platforms to crack down on the reported "massive increases in hateful, incendiary, and false and misleading content promoting antisemitic, anti-Muslim, and anti-Arab views."

"The rising tide of hate is putting all New Yorkers at risk - and as Governor, I'm committed to tackling this crisis head-on," Hochul stated. "We're deploying physical security resources, expanding our Threat Management and Assessment teams, calling for stronger action from social media companies, and encouraging families and communities to come together to fight hate. New York has always been a beacon of hope, tolerance and inclusivity, and we will be defined by how we come together to condemn hate in all forms."

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