The Digital Disconnect

This concept and skills of data literacy is especially important due to the inaccurate data that is out there today. For example, in his book Digital Disconnect, McChesney argues that communication hindered by the “marriage” between capitalism and Internet. He talks about the flaws of journalism in particular, and how what society sees as credible information may not be as accurate as we think. McChesney says that journalism has three parts: it must provide an account of people in power, it must have a plausible method to separate truth from lies, it must regard information needs of individuals as legitimate, and it must provide range of informed opinions on most important issues (McChesney). However, due to things like government involvement, and profit driven news media firms, some of this “credible” information is distorted. McChesney argues that today, policies will be made by elites and self-interested commercial interests, unless there is organized popular intervention. Because of this damage to news media than to entertainment media, it is necessary that society learns the skills of “data literacy” as Johnson has explained them. If we filter this inaccurate news information better, we will have a more balanced and credible knowledge background.