Media literacy to be added to California curriculum as early as next year

California students will soon be required to learn media literacy as part of the state’s curriculum. The goal is to teach students to think critically about what they are reading online.

Assembly Bill 873, authored by Assemblymember Marc Berman, D-Menlo Park, will direct the state’s Instructional Quality Commission to incorporate media literacy into K-12 curriculum in English language arts, math, science, history and social studies frameworks, according to CalMatters.

In 2018, California passed optional media literacy guidelines, which focus on teaching about online privacy and safety, conducting research online and other topics related to internet use. This bill goes further in that it addresses misinformation and social media use specifically, and would be required in classrooms.