Why News Literacy Matters
　　The first printing presses arrived in the U.S. in the mid-1600s, an important step in the history of America’s free press.// A free press is necessary in democratic society.// It allows citizens to criticize the country’s leaders without fear.//
　　However, it can also lead to news that is false.// Today, we often hear about “fake news,” a phrase the public and politicians use to refer to news they do not think is true.// While people have paid much attention to the term in recent years, the problem is not new.// Fake news has existed since modern journalism began.//
　　News comes to us in many forms, every hour of every day.// Often we receive it instantly, on our phones.// How can we manage this mountain of information so that fake news does not mislead us?// We must acquire news literacy, the ability to use our critical thinking skills to judge whether or not news reports are credible.//