The following media literacy tip is from the nonpartisan League of Women Voters of Washington. Dedicated to empowering voters and defending democracy, the League works to expand public knowledge and understanding of media literacy and news education as both are key to developing healthy, civically engaged communities.
Making sense of information
When a group of people creates a shared understanding of a complex or ambiguous situation in order to make decisions and take action, we call that collective sensemaking.
Today, our collective sensemaking is disrupted because of a number of factors, including facts and frames that can be faulty, either intentionally or through misinterpretation.
Here are a few quick definitions that put this into perspective.
- Facts: Data points that provide evidence about the world and what happens within it. (Can be faulty.)
- Frames: Mental structures that help us organize, interpret and make sense of those facts. (Can also be faulty.)
- Interpretation: The facts we have on hand help determine which frames we use. The frames we use often can help us connect those facts and give them meaning.
Learn more about these terms and definitions from this research article from the University of Washington Center for an Informed Public: https://www.cip.uw.edu/2023/12/06/rumors-collective-sensemaking-kate-starbird/