2018 JAN PUBFOR AIC MAIN

No one is uninformed. Unless we are completely asleep and dreaming, we are bombarded minute by minute by information that might or might not have an element of truth to it but most assuredly will have heavy doses of mistruths in it. We are all informed. It's just a matter of determining whether the information we are holding in our brains is serving us well or causing us troubles.

With the featured issue for the month of January 2018 being AN INFORMED CITIZENRY, we will meet at the Herndon Library on January 20th to discuss the quality of the information that reaches us through our schools and media, our elected officials and their political campaigns, commercial advertising and marketing, and all other sources of information.

How well are we informed on matters of true importance, not just here in Orlando and the United States, but elsewhere in the world as well? Are our schools properly preparing us to make wise decisions throughout our lives? Are our media outlets providing quality information that can be used to make wise political and commercial choices? And what about our elected officials and others in government... are they truthful? Can we trust the information being conveyed to us?

Technological advances have made it easier for Americans to connect with each other and to find information, including details about the major issues facing the country. But those advances present both challenges and opportunities for individuals and U.S. institutions.

Not only is more information readily available, but so is more misinformation, and many consumers may not be able to easily discern the difference between the two.

Amid the changing informational landscape, media trust in the U.S. has been eroding, making it harder for the news media to fulfill their democratic responsibilities of informing the public and holding government leaders accountable.

Results of the 2017 Gallup/Knight Foundation Survey on Trust, Media and Democracy show that most Americans believe it is now harder to be well-informed and to determine which news is accurate. They increasingly perceive the media as biased and struggle to identify objective news sources. They believe the media continue to have a critical role in
our democracy but are not very positive about how the media are fulfilling that role.

The research reported here is based on a nationally representative mail survey of more than 19,000 U.S. adults aged 18 and older. This project received support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the Ford Foundation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Open Society Foundations.

The internet as a human right
Catherine Howell and Darrell West | Brookings | Monday, November 7, 2016

Internet access is now a basic human right: part 1
Leigh Alexander, Matt Shore, Katie Callin | The Guardian | Friday 29 July 2016

United Nations Declares Internet Access a Basic Human Right
Nicholas Jackson | The Atlantic | June 3, 2011

"Very few if any developments in information technologies have had such a revolutionary effect as the creation of the Internet. Unlike any other medium of communication, such as radio, television and printed publications based on one-way transmission of information, the Internet represents a significant leap forward as an interactive medium... individuals are no longer passive recipients, but also active publishers of information. Such platforms are particularly valuable in countries where there is no independent media, as they enable individuals to share critical views and to find objective information... the Internet allows access to information and knowledge that was previously unattainable. This, in turn, contributes to the discovery of the truth and progress of society as a whole."

Jan 20 DISCUSSION at herndon

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