Journal of Media Literacy Education Pre-Prints
Document Type
Research Article
Abstract
This study explored whether a custom AI chatbot could be a relevant tool for promoting critical thinking about news bias. The research team discusses the development of a custom critical media literacy chatbot and its implementation in an upper-division critical media studies course at a large North American public university. Students interacted with the chatbot to analyze news headlines about transgender issues, employing a scaffolded framework to dissect media framing and generate alternative frames. We argue that the same AI technologies fueling anxiety can be reimagined as partners in cultivating critical media literacy and guiding future directions in journalism pedagogy. Student responses suggest that the AI assistant supported metacognitive reflection and made some feel better prepared to serve news audiences.
Recommended Citation
Luna, K., Reynolds, C., & Zain, A. (2026). “The AI pushed me to consider new perspectives”: Preliminary Observations on a ChatGPT Intervention Designed to Elicit Critical Thinking About Media Headlines. Journal of Media Literacy Education Pre-Prints. Retrieved from https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/jmle-preprints/54
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
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Communication Technology and New Media Commons, Curriculum and Instruction Commons, Mass Communication Commons