When lawmakers passed Illinois’ Public Act 102-0055 in July 2021, Illinois became the first state in the United States to require media literacy at the high school level.
This project, focused in the southern Illinois region, will examine how the new requirement is implemented throughout the state. Reporter Emily Cooper interviews Anna-Jonesboro Community High School and Roberto Clemente Community Academy social studies teachers to gain perspective from educators on this new requirement. Media Literacy in Illinois looks to break new ground by investigating Illinois’ requirement in-depth, educators’ awareness of this new requirement, and the impact of this bill to understand how media literacy is now being implemented during the first semester of instruction in Illinois.
