West Cook News

A bill that amends school code to allow for curricula involving "media literacy" to be taught in high schools was introduced in the House of Representatives on Feb. 1 by Rep. Elizabeth Hernandez (D-Cicero).

Opposers of House Bill 1559 believe the government is overreaching. 

The bill does not state where the resources will come from or how the media literacy classes will be funded. The bill provides requirements for the state superintendent of education to prepare a unit of instruction on media literacy for high school students involving print, visual, audio, interactive and digital media.

Beginning in the 2019-2020 school year, public high schools in Illinois will include the media literacy class, which will teach students to analyze the purpose of a media message and how it is constructed; teach the difference between explicit and implicit media messages; values and points of view included or excluded from media; how media influences ideas and behaviors; and the importance of obtaining media from a variety of sources, according to the bill.

The bill, if passed, will be effective immediately. The first reading of the bill was Feb. 1 and that same day it was referred to the Rules Committee.