We aren’t rising to the bait.
This post was originally published on my Substack.
No one believes they are tearing down Frank Lloyd Wright homes in Oak Park.
But maybe a little media literacy refresh is helpful.
FIRST
We are an educated village. We appreciate higher education. AND we’ve invested in ourselves to achieve it.
Here is the stat for Oak Park, Illinois:
Advanced Degrees: Graduate and professional degrees (which group master’s, professional degrees like MD/JD, and doctorate/PhD levels together in standard Census reporting) make up nearly 39% of the educational attainment for population subsets over age 25. Niche.com
And while Niche.com is a pretty website, you can review our census data on the United States Census Bureau’s website too. A fun deeper dive for all of us.
This is a stat that is top of mind for me. At one point, we had the highest percentage of higher education degrees in the Chicagoland area - even more than Evanston. When discussing economic development with different people over the years - and why a business may or may not choose to land itself in Oak Park- I often explain to people that having a population that holds more advanced degrees isn’t actually a positive for some retailers. Education doesn’t equal more sales; it MEANS we are more likely to do our market research and purchase an item according to reviews and data, rather than a simple advertisement. And we tend to lean into less consumerism; even if we might want something, we are less likely to buy it. Or so market research says.
In practice, all of that education means we generally lean into investigation as a community. We like to LEARN. * See Footnote
AND other points that lead us to a conclusion
Depending on the source you look at, research shows that about 40-50% of all online activity is non-human. (If you Google, you’ll get pages and pages of sources - even reputable ones.)
One of the largest threats to democracy (in my opinion) is our degrading state of media literacy. (But it’s not just my opinion; there is a reason organizations like the League of Women Voters hold media literacy training.)
One of the hardest things to overcome nationally and politically is misinformation. Not just my opinion.
We are lucky that our engaged and educated public still supports journalism with editorial standards. Local journalism increases access to information about what is happening in our village, at our community institutions, and in our legislative bodies.
NOW THE VIDEO
When a recent YouTube video - with no actual evidentiary editorial standard- published a segment that led with “they are knocking down these historic homes,” many Oak Parkers were outraged by the video.
Anywhere I’ve seen the video posted in a social media space, or as people discuss it in Oak Park community groups, people are upset by the untruths. Or maybe not…
The comments are still racking up on the post:
Many of those comments seem to indicate people BELIEVE that Oak Park would allow the demolition of a Frank Lloyd Wright home.
No one would be allowed to tear down a Frank Lloyd Wright house, and, frankly, no new construction would be allowed to change the character of our historic districts. This has been stated in the FAQ of the new zoning reform proposal.
But that video…the views are still increasing.
Now over 100,000 views. And maybe you are a little curious about the video. It’s ok - you can click on it and watch a bit of it, and add to the views. I don’t think you need to watch all 12 minutes to get the gist of what I’m referring to regarding media literacy.
A MEDIA LITERACY GUT CHECK
But maybe…
You did get frightened by the beginning of the video? Maybe you were swayed slightly by the comments? Our emotional state can be “catchy.” OR maybe you are worried your neighbors might have been. So I think it’s best to take a beat and ask yourself some questions.
How many views do you think are actually human views?
How many comments on that YouTube video are actually human comments?
What are the credentials of the YouTube creator?
Who paid for the video?
What are they trying to get you to feel?
I could go on with more questions. But I encourage you to take a deeper dive into media literacy through the Alliance for a Media Literate America - AMLA’s Core Principles PDF here. Go to page four if you want to ask yourself a few more questions.
In the same way aspects of our national rhetoric can be designed to be divisive, misleading, and strike fear, this video is playing that same game.
I’m asking you to be cautious of media intent and impact. Because, as it says in the AMLA Core Principles: “Media and media messages can influence beliefs, attitudes, values, behaviors, and the democratic process.”
We’ve got midterms for our national elections in November. And our municipal elections in April will be here quickly too. All along the way, there will be commercials and op-eds regarding national, regional, and local issues and candidates. And it’s going to take a level of discernment to wade through it all.
What I ask of all of us is to lean in and learn. And dig into media literacy education supported by organizations such as the AMLA to “develop the habits of inquiry and skills of expression that we need to be critical thinkers, effective communicators, and active citizens in today’s world.”
*Footnote:
We like to learn. Maybe this is part of why I love Oak Park so much. I took part in the CliftonStrengths assessment a few years ago, and my strengths lead with strategic thinking themes, “themes that help you absorb and analyze information that informs better decisions.”
Learning tops the chart: 1. Learner 2. Input 3. Strategic 4. Arranger 5. Individualization 6. Achiever 7. Woo 8. Positivity 9. Focus 10. Responsibility
You can take a far deeper dive into my leadership strengths here.
