COLUMN: Focus on writing

I read Steve Cameron’s column of February 16th in which he promotes “media literacy” and references a class at NIC in this subject. Instead of promoting having to be taught how to read a news story, how about some classes for the people writing them? Maybe we can start a curriculum at NIC as well as other learning institutions in which students are taught to gather information, independently verify facts, then present them in a coherent manner so as to leave the reader reliably well informed? We could call it “journalism.” That would work too, wouldn’t it? If we could somehow implement this “media literacy” could be called “reading.” It’s just crazy enough to work and at least worth a try.

JIM COOK

Post Falls