New York Governor Kathy Hochul (D) announced a “media literacy” tool for public school students.
“Today, I’m directing the Director of the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services to develop media literacy tools for K -12 in our public schools,” Hochul said.
The “tools” will “teach students and even teachers to help understand how to spot conspiracy theories and misinformation, disinformation and online hate,” she described.
“Start talking about what we’re seeing out there. Give the teachers the tools they need to help these conversations in school. And by teaching younger New Yorkers about how to discern between digital fact and digital fiction, we can better inoculate them from hatred and the spread of it.”
BREAKING: Governor Hochul announces a Ministry Of Truth for students in NY pic.twitter.com/hrXOjS5OV2
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) November 21, 2023
The move has been compared to an Orwellian Truth Ministry.
“We are living in George Orwell’s 1984,” one individual tweeted in response to the announcement.
We are living in George Orwell’s 1984🤢 pic.twitter.com/8R1C5CZN3c
— TruthSeeker (@Truthseeker2344) November 21, 2023
“Yeah, H!tler thought that was a good idea too,” another X user wrote. “Only, he called it The Reich Ministry for Public Enlightenment and Propaganda. Same thing.”
Yeah, H!tler thought that was a good idea too. Only, he called it The Reich Ministry for Public Enlightenment and Propaganda. Same thing.
— Leesa J. (@LeesaWho) November 21, 2023
A satirical account for the Ministry of Truth shared, “My time has arrived.”
Hochul announced earlier this month that the state is collecting data from social media platforms to counter “hate speech.”
She explained that the state is “very focused on the data we’re collecting from surveillance efforts – what’s being said on social media platforms. And we have launched an effort to be able to counter some of the negativity and reach out to people when we see hate speech being spoken about on online platforms.”
“Our social media analysts has ramped up its monitoring of sites to catch incitement to violence, direct threats to others, and all this is in response to our desire, our strong commitment, to ensure that not only do New Yorkers be safe, but they also feel safe.”
