The University of Iowa School of Journalism and Mass Communication is sponsoring a Media Literacy and Voting Workshop to help voters and caucusgoers distinguish fact from fiction as political candidates descend on Iowa ahead of the first-in-the-nation. 

Tyler Oakley, a MediaWise ambassador and YouTube celebrity, will help train students during the workshop. The Poynter Institute is a nonprofit journalism school and research organization.

The free workshop will be held 3-4 p.m. Friday at W10 Pappajohn Business Building. Space is limited to the first 250 registrants.

The event is aimed at young people who may be voting or caucusing for the first time this year. It will focus on helping people learn more about the political process and how to distinguish credible news from factually incorrect or biased information. The goal is to help first-time voters and caucusgoers can make informed decisions during this nominating process and in future elections.

The Media Literary and Voting Workshop, will cover ways to help people in learning to interpret the media and finding reliable sources of information. President Trump coined the term “fake news” to describe accredited newspapers in the U.S. With misinformation disguising itself as real news online, the workshop emphasizes the importance of being able to identify misleading content.  

It was organized as part of the MediaWise Voter Project of the Poynter Institute with financial backing from Facebook. Neil Brown Poynter Institute President is a UI alum and a former Daily Iowan editor.

Register to attend the event here.