UGA students will soon be able to enroll in the Certificate in News Literacy program

(From left to right) Charlotte Norsworthy, a newsroom advisor for Red & Black and program coordinator for the News Literacy Certificate, and Keith Herndon, a professor of journalism at UGA and the executive director of the Cox Institute for Journalism, discuss the goals of the News Literacy Certificate program. (Courtesy of University of Georgia)

University of Georgia (UGA) students of any major will soon have the opportunity to enroll in classes that explain and explore the role and function of news, journalistic responsibility and journalism ethics.

The Cox Institute for Journalism Innovation, Management and Leadership at UGA is launching the Certificate in News Literacy program this fall.

Charlotte Norsworthy, a newsroom adviser for the Red & Black student newspaper and program coordinator for the News Literacy Certificate, and Keith Herndon, a professor of journalism at UGA and the executive director of the Cox Institute for Journalism, were guests on  Friday’s edition of “Closer Look.”

They talked with program host Rose Scott about how misinformation is spread online, the importance of getting news from trusted news sources and the goals of the News Literacy Certificate program.

“A big reason why we want news literacy to be so accessible is because it’s something that impacts everyone, regardless of career and regardless of the type of media that you engage with,” explained Norsworthy.