Facilitate a biweekly media literacy and disinformation response group.

Run a biweekly group where participants learn how to identify misleading claims, develop effective responses, and test those strategies in the real world. Each session should focus on a different media literacy skill, such as claim tracing, using fact-checking websites, sorting through AI slop, seeing the patterns in government propaganda, using the SIFT method, practicing lateral reading, understanding the purpose of "flooding the zone," prebunking, exposing deepfakes, or examining conspiracy theories.

Between sessions, participants are encouraged to apply what they have learned in actual conversations and online spaces and report back on how it went. The group then identifies what worked, what did not, and why. Over time, this builds a shared understanding of which responses are effective and which ones just start arguments.

Sessions happen every other week. Off-weeks are for practicing skills in the field and for the facilitator to prepare the next session's topic and materials.

The group caps at 10 participants.

Essential skills:

• Strong interest in media literacy and critical thinking
• Comfort facilitating discussion and skill-building exercises
• Willingness to stay current on emerging disinformation tactics and trends
• Ability to create a space where people can share failures as well as successes

NOT required:

• Journalism or fact-checking credentials
• Technical expertise in digital forensics

Operative must provide:

• An account with the digital platform that will host the group meetings
• Preparation of session topics, examples, and exercises
• Between-session engagement in the Discord channel
• Promotion and participant recruitment for the group

MFU will provide:

• An interest form on the MFU website to help identify the best times for the meetings
• A scheduling app on the MFU website that allows people to sign up for the group
• A channel on the MFU Discord server for discussion and sharing between meetings
• Help locating media literacy resources and training materials, if needed
• Promotion and participant recruitment for the group

You are welcome to use these sources to help you get started:

• CISA's Tactics of Disinformation is a concise reference from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency that breaks down common disinformation tactics, making it easy to build a session around recognizing specific patterns.
• The Princeton Public Library's guide to misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation provides a clear overview of the different types of information disorder, with practical tips for evaluating sources.
• The APA's Misinformation Effect interactive guide explores the psychology behind why misinformation works, covering cognitive biases and emotional triggers that make people susceptible.
• Civic Online Reasoning from the Digital Inquiry Group offers free, classroom-tested lessons on evaluating online information, built around three core questions: Who is behind the information? What is the evidence? What do other sources say?
• MediaSmarts' key concepts of digital media literacy lays out the foundational concepts for understanding how digital media works, from algorithms to audience targeting.
• Media Literacy Now tracks state-level media literacy legislation and provides advocacy tools for expanding media literacy education. Useful context for understanding the policy landscape.
• The New York State Media Literacy Toolkit is a comprehensive educator toolkit covering information disorder, fact-checking, source evaluation, and online safety, with lesson plans and activities adaptable for adult learners.
• PEN America's Media Literacy Toolkit offers practical tips for identifying and countering disinformation, drawn from their Knowing the News training curriculum.
• Verified by Mike Caulfield and Sam Wineburg is a concise guide to evaluating online information, built around the SIFT method (Stop, Investigate the source, Find better coverage, Trace claims). The method can be taught in a single session and practiced immediately.
• UNESCO's Media and Information Literacy module on disinformation covers identifying misinformation, fact-checking tools, and counter-messaging strategies. Designed for educators but directly applicable to this group.

For general questions, you can message your handler through your dashboard, contact @Owlett on Discord, or email info@myflyinguniversity.org.

If you have an idea for a different approach to all or part of this mission, please feel free to reach out before you get started!