To be literate with the media, we have to be honest about our own limits and vulnerabilities. Perhaps we spend too much time pointlessly confusing ourselves with random bits of information from strangers. Or we’re unduly influenced by emotional language and images. Perhaps we’re easily flattered. Or we’re only motivated to find support for what we already think. Maybe we’re cynical about everyone with expertise, or, conversely, have too much confidence in our own small information networks.
In 1983 Stanislav Petrov’s decision to “corroborate” the information his computer was giving him may have averted nuclear war between the United States and the Soviet Union. Petrov was the lieutenant colonel on duty at a Soviet command center responsible for monitoring Soviet early-warning satellites. When his computer told him the U.S. had just launched 5 intercontinental ballistic missiles that would make landfall in under 25 minutes, he had almost no time to react carefully….
The Nomadic Professor’s 2026 Media Literacy Challenge: Read Smarter Online! Twice a month throughout 2026, America’s 250th anniversary year, we’ll share one small skill to help you read better online—social media, YouTube, podcasts, newsletters, forums, magazines, journals, newspapers, and everything between. Challenge #1 is Lateral reading: learning about the source before read from the source.
Nomadic Professor teaches history as method, not ideology: build knowledge, then master bias, evidence, and context to judge competing narratives with confidence.
How do we explore history without choosing sides? In tackling various angles of the contested narratives surrounding Alaska’s past, this course challenges simplistic, one-sided interpretations. The History of Alaska: America’s Last Frontier? dives into the complexity of indigenous land rights, colonization, and competing perspectives—encouraging learners to move beyond black-and-white storytelling. Discover a curriculum that takes the past seriously on its own terms. Learn more at Nomadic Professor.
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