#WritersCoffeeClub 27th Jan 2026. What’s a technical skill you think should be more widespread?
Critical reading/media literacy.
(At risk of getting political on a writers hashtag, most of our political problems exist because our media environment is owned by billionaires and heavily propagandized to promote their preferred policies and attitudes. And most people have no idea when they're being lied to subtly.)
Teach #criticalthinking from an early age!
@cstross media owners don’t need to lie, they just choose the legit stories out there which reinforce their biases. (Then some just like lying anyway because they’re fascists)
@cstross When I was in grade school we were taught source criticism & people's lack of this skill baffled me for decades, until my own child was in school & I realized it was pure luck that I'd learned it - that teacher had decided to put it in our curriculum of her own accord; critical media consumption wasn't & still, as far as I know, isn't among the many requirements & standards for Danish schools. Madness.
@cstross I think comparative texts showing two ways of reporting the same facts are incredibly useful for analysis.
And I don’t mean telling actual lies; simply manipulating the truth by selection of facts and very careful selection of vocabulary.
@cstross
I personally would add basic numerical abilities and basic statistics. Many people have no idea about percentages or about risk. Lottery is a tax on people who don't understand statistics (i.e. the less well educated).
(and the billionaire thing could have been done by referring to Orwell, saying that the future would be controlled by ... etc. I guess most of us know the full quote and can draw a line to who is controlling current discourse - but spelling it out is OK for me, too 😉)
@cstross 60% of the population of my native country can read a high school novel. Math is even worse. So, the very basics.
