"We're Already Somebody": High School Students Practicing Critical Media Literacy IRL (in Real Life)

As new media and multiliteracies become an expanding space for reading and writing both in and out of schools, it seems fitting to document events where students are engaged in authentic literacy events. This article tells the story of what happened when a group of news writers chose to publish an editorial in their news magazine critical of an invited speaker. After the story gained momentum through both the traditional press and social media, students experienced a twofold lesson: what it feels like to raise their voices and be heard, and ways to respond to and learn from the backlash of their critique.