California students will learn how to recognize ‘fake news’ so they don’t ‘try to overthrow our democracy’

California will require K-12 students to learn how to recognize “fake news.”

Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) signed Assembly Bill 873 in October, and the law will take effect on Jan. 1, 2024, when educators will be required to incorporate a media literacy framework into existing language arts, science, math, and social studies curricula.

RAMASWAMY PUSHES PETITION FOR MCDANIEL’S OUSTER AS RNC CHAIRWOMAN

State Democratic Assemblyman Marc Berman, who sponsored the bill, appeared to allude to supporters of former President Donald Trump in making his case for the “media literacy” legislation.

“I’ve seen the impact that misinformation has had in the real world — how it affects the way people vote, whether they accept the outcomes of elections, try to overthrow our democracy,” Berman said, according to the San Francisco Standard.

Berman’s comments can be interpreted as a reference to Trump supporters and their efforts to contest the results of the 2020 election, which a number of Democratic politicians and pundits have dubbed an attempt to “overthrow our democracy.”

According to the bill, the goal is to facilitate skills in children and adolescents that lead to “digital citizenship,” or a set of skills leading to “appropriate, responsible, and healthy behavior.” The bill passed the California Senate by a vote of 35-2.

UCLA professor and senior fellow at the Hoover Institute Lee Ohanian criticized the legislation, posing the question, “But who will teach California’s teachers how to recognize fake news?”

He argued that many adults struggle to identify fake news and that one’s perception of fake news may have more to do with their political views than the veracity of the claims in question.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

Californians are not alone in their concern over fake news. In February, a research collaborative published a survey revealing that approximately half of Americans were uncertain about their ability to identify false political claims.

Texas, New Jersey, and Delaware have also passed legislation centered on media literacy.