News literacy: Amidst the changing media environment, some schools and institutions are investing in programs that target news literacy. The McCormick Foundation recently announced a new initiative, Why News Matters, to help fund programs to make news consumers more savvy. McCormick’s Clark Bell gives the details. Dean Miller, director of Stony Brook University’s Center for News Literacy, says why his school wants students to think critically about the media. And, Teresa White, the news program coordinator for Free Spirit Media News, explains how her organization tackles the issue with kids in Chicago’s underserved neighborhoods. Vennetta Sims, a senior at Gary Comer College Prep and a participant in FSM, also weighs in.

Pink Slime: Two microbiologists who used to work with the USDA recently reported that the federal government is set to purchase 7 million pounds of pink slime, that is, beef scraps treated with ammonia hydroxide, for use in school lunches. WBEZ food blogger Louisa Chu and food scientist Kanthe Shelke, tell Eight Forty-Eight whether that slime-filled burger of yours is safe.

DeRo: WBEZ music blogger and Sound Opinions co-host Jim DeRogatis momentarily escapes the chaos in Austin for a debrief on the hyped and over-hyped acts at South by Southwest.