Our Mission
Unreliable information overwhelms our media system and citizens are increasingly avoiding the news. In the spirit of our land grant mission, Penn State’s News Literacy Initiative aims to help, teaching students and citizens strategies for telling the difference between reliable public interest journalism and the noise that often overwhelms and divides us.
Our efforts will leverage resources from across the University system in a multipronged approach that will include campus events, K-12 educator webinars, online certification programs, a student News Literacy Ambassadors program, research efforts, and a radio show/podcast, News Over Noise.
This website and the NLI are a resource for everyone in the commonwealth.
Bellisario College Team
Matt Jordan Ph.D.
- Director, News Literacy Initiative
- Co-Host, "News Over Noise"
Cory Barker Ph.D.
- Assistant Teaching Professor, Bellisario College of Communications
- Co-Host, "News Over Noise"
WPSU Team
Lindsey Whissel Fenton
- Senior Producer and Director, WPSU
Sarah Hamilton
- Education Program Manager, WPSU
Holly Lowe J.D.
- Project Development Manager, WPSU
Rebecca Woolfrey
- Web Designer & Content Strategist, WPSU
Former Team
Yasemin Beykont Ph.D.
- Former Digital Media Director & Graduate Assistant, News Literacy Initiative
Leah Dajches Ph.D.
- Former Postdoctoral Scholar, News Literacy Initiative
- Former Co-Host, "News Over Noise"
Sydney L. Forde Ph.D.
- Former Graduate Assistant, News Literacy Initiative
- Former Guest Co-Host, "News Over Noise"
Our Supporters
The News Literacy Initiative is funded by the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost at Penn State,
With contributions from:
- College of Education
- Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications
- Penn State Libraries
- Penn State Student Affairs
In partnership with:
