Microsoft’s media literacy program aims to empower internet users and combat online misinformation

A new effort to promote internet and media literacy by Microsoft has shown promising results in the fight against online misinformation. The tech company worked with the nonprofit Trust Project late last year to create short advertisements directing viewers to a list of ways to quickly distinguish reliable news sources from sites peddling falsehoods and conspiracy theories. After seeing the list, people expressed greater confidence in their ability to spot misinformation themselves. New regulations are frequently floated as a solution to the problem of online misinformation but researchers say media literacy could be an even more practical and effective strategy.