By Adam Maksl

We news professionals, particularly those of us in media education, often worry about the journalistic integrity in the news we cover. We cringe at the increasing number of column inches and broadcast minutes celebrities receive over issues of government secrecy, for example. And we worry that Americans’ media palette -- particularly those of younger generation -- have caused this trend as they replace reading about public policy issues with watching skateboarding dogs on YouTube.

We worry that perhaps JibJab.com had it right when the satirists at the site posted a video last spring poking fun at the current state of the news media. The news, they said, is filled with “scandals, dramas, tragedies and mindless ballyhoo that’s turned our brains to goo.”

But, I can at least take solace with the results of the most recent update to the Future of the First Amendment study. The results show that while students use online video sites like YouTube and Google Video more than any other new digital media, we know that stories about the Iraq war and political candidates’ positions on taxes rank higher in students’ opinions of importance than, say, a story about Britney Spears shaving her head.

This third update of the groundbreaking study for the first time shows parents’ opinions. And we’re seeing that parents often have a greater impact on their children’s choice of news media. That’s a good thing as we want future generations to care as much about news as previous ones.

But, students’ interest in stories about the political candidates ranks about the same as their interest in Spears’ drama. It’s important in light of this information that we teach students how to distinguish news from entertainment.

Perhaps the most gratifying part of the study is that an overwhelming percentage of both teachers and parents believe this mission is important. Ninety-six percent of both groups agreed it is somewhat or very important to teach students to distinguish between the two.

We need to continue to track students’ opinions on the First Amendment and their perceptions of news. We need to make these topics a part of school curriculum. I’m so happy that we seem to have the support of parents and teachers, who can have a major impact on the educational process.

We must ensure that young people understand and appreciate the First Amendment, and teaching media literacy is a part of that. With the support of parents and teachers, as this study shows exist, we’re well on our way to achieving that goal.