Media and Information Literacy Repository – South Asia

Fake news impacts individuals' behavior and decision-making while also disrupting political processes, perceptions of medical advice, and societal trends. Improving individuals' ability to accurately assess fake news can reduce its harmful effects. However, previous research on media literacy interventions designed for improving fake news credibility assessments has yielded inconsistent results. We systematically collected 33 independent studies and performed a meta-analysis to examine the effects of media literacy interventions on assessing fake news credibility (n = 36,256). The results showed that media literacy interventions significantly improved fake news credibility assessments (Hedges' g = 0.53, 95% confidence interval [0.29–0.78], p < 0.001). Gaming interventions were the most effective intervention form. Conversely, the intervention channel, outcome measurement, and subject characteristics (age, gender, and country development level) did not influence the intervention effects.

Teacher educators, teachers, and K-12 learners today are immersed in multiple media environments, some of which are beset with dangerous information and deliberate falsehoods. In the age of misinformation and disinformation, critical media literacy must become an essential dimension of teacher education. Current and future teachers need to develop critical media literacy skills to think deeply and critically about the media they use for teaching (e.g., YouTube videos, websites, podcasts, books) and the media they and their students are exposed to on a regular basis (e.g., social media, news, TV, movies), and then begin envisioning how they will support students in becoming critical readers, viewers, and listeners of the media they interact with daily. In this article, we will discuss the role that teacher education plays in generating a more media literate society that is able to respond to and prevent crises of disinformation that threaten democracy and social justice.

Older adults are especially susceptible to fake news online, possibly because they are less digitally literate compared to younger individuals. Interventions for older adults have emerged to improve digital literacy, although there has been little evaluation of their effectiveness in improving older adults’ resilience to fake news. We report the results of a digital literacy intervention for older adults administered during the 2020 U.S. election. The intervention was a 1-hour, self-directed series of interactive modules designed to teach concepts and skills for identifying misinformation online. Consistent with our pre-registered hypothesis, older adults (Mage = 67) in the treatment condition (N = 143) significantly improved their likelihood of accurately discerning fake from true news from 64% pre-intervention to 85% post-intervention. In contrast, older adults in the control condition (N = 238) did not significantly improve (from 55% to 57%). The treated older adults were also more likely to employ strategies for identifying misinformation online compared to pre-intervention and the control group.

This review explores the pivotal role of media literacy in combating misinformation, focusing on the effectiveness of media literacy programs in enhancing critical thinking skills and mitigating the spread of false information. As digital communication proliferates, so does misinformation, posing significant challenges to informed citizenship and democratic processes. Research indicates that media literacy equips individuals with the skills necessary to critically evaluate information sources, discern credible content, and navigate diverse media landscapes. Studies have demonstrated that structured media literacy programs significantly enhance individuals critical thinking abilities, enabling them to analyze and interpret media messages more effectively. Moreover, these programs foster resilience against misinformation by empowering participants to question narratives, identify biases, and recognize persuasive techniques. Evidence suggests that individuals who undergo media literacy training are less likely to share or believe false information, contributing to a more informed public. This review synthesizes findings from various studies, highlighting best practices in media literacy curricula, including interactive learning, real-world case studies, and collaborative discussions. The analysis underscores the need for educational institutions to incorporate comprehensive media literacy initiatives as a fundamental component of contemporary education, particularly in an era where misinformation can spread rapidly through social media and other digital channels. Overall, fostering media literacy emerges as a critical strategy not only for individual empowerment but also for the enhancement of public discourse and democratic engagement in the face of an increasingly complex information ecosystem.

aul G. Zurkowski was the first to introduce the term information literacy in 1974 to describe the techniques and skills necessary for utilizing “a wide range of information tools and primary sources”. It also included the ability to measure information value to “mold information to [meet] needs” and to create solutions to problems.1-2 Since then, media literacy and information literacy has gained a base in advanced countries. But UNESCO is now promoting the composite concept of media and information literacy (MIL). To promote MIL and MIL research, it has founded the MIL Alliance and the Media and Information Literacy and Intercultural Dialogue (MILID UniTwin) to enable people to use information critically, ethically and legally in quality decision-making. Other useful initiatives of UNESCO include “MIL MOOC; Media and Information Literacy: Critical-thinking, Creativity, Literacy, Intercultural, Citizenship, Knowledge and Sustainability (MIL CLICKS); MIL Policy and Strategy Guidelines; MIL Curriculum for Teachers; MIL Indicators; MIL Framework; and MIL Week Feature Conference and Youth Agenda Forum. The International Federation of Library Association and Institutions (IFLA) has its programme entitled 'Freedom of Access to Information and Freedom of Expression (FAIFE)' and developed the MIL Guidelines. IFLA/FAIFE' programme is committed to ensure freedom of access to information and freedom of expression to empower people to realize their “right to be.”3 There are many models and standards to promote information literacy and MIL but MIL is not yet effectively imbedded in the developing countries. Hence, to sensitize the stakeholders about the concept and practice of MIL in India, this theme issue of the DESIDOC Journal of Information Technology (DJLIT) has been planned.

Concerns about the spread of disinformation, information disorder, and fake news have grown to unprecedented proportions in recent years. This study aimed to explore how to mitigate this communication disorder and achieve a balance in the relationship among the public, the media, the dominant institutions, and the digital influencers in society. This study used the grounded meta-synthesis method, which relies on induction, to arrive at a new model according to the objective of the study. The process of open, axial, and selective coding included 101 studies, books, reports, and guides, starting with the Public Opinion by Walter Lippmann, issued in 1922, and ending with the 2022 Edelman Trust Barometer. The results led to the proposal of a new model to reduce communication dysfunction, in which media and information literacy (MIL) plays a crucial role in increasing an individual's ability to resist disinformation and enhancing their ability to monitor the performance of institutions, as well as expanding the circle of influencers in social media. To fulfil the three goals and contribute to achieving a degree of functional balance in communication within societies, the model recommends enhancing MIL. Other intervening variables, such as the fragility of political, cultural, and legal structures, should not be disregarded.

This paper set out to explore online users' perceptions, attitudes, and practices towards mis/disinformation on social networking sites and investigate how they engage with, identify, and evaluate information disorder on social networking sites. The correlation study provides empirical insights into the complex relationship between digital media literacy and online information processing. To this end, a web-based survey was administered to gauge Moroccan undergraduate students'digital media literacy skills, particularly in what regards their ability to identify and evaluate the credibility of information online. The data obtained are consistent with the hypothesis guiding this research that there is a significant relationship between digital media literacy skills (DMLS) and students' ability to identify information disorder online (IDO). Based on the empirical findings, important implications and strategies for higher education institutions are addressed to help students become more digitally media literate consumers of information.

MotivationIn a polarizing world, the spread of “fake news” and mis/disinformation is a cause of concern for young people's wellbeing, as they are at the forefront of the use and consumption of digital media. The article focuses on how young people view and respond to misinformation online, and the role of digital literacy interventions to mitigate this challenge.PurposeThe analysis aims to provide some initial insights on how young people view and respond to misinformation online, based on open-ended online consultations, and consider what their ideas and experiences imply for whether and how digital literacy interventions can help mitigate the impact of “fake news” and mis/disinformation on young people's wellbeing.

Sulafa Zidani and Rachel E. Moran in “Memes and the Spread of Misinformation: Establishing the Importance of Media Literacy in the Era of Information Disorder” aim to equip students with the skills to tackle misinformation and participate in online conversations critically and ethically. The lesson does so through introducing core concepts in media literacy and participatory culture, such as “user-generated content,” “memes,” and “information disorder,” and facilitated student activities to examine their everyday social media consumption. Students will learn to identify the characteristics of culture and technology, connect user-generated content with the spread of dis/misinformation, and apply learned theories by remaking a meme or a different form of user-generated content to serve a different informational purpose.

The COVID-19 pandemic heightened the urgency of working across lines of political difference to combat misinformation. This paper asks: Does having news literacy matter in reducing misperceptions, and importantly, for whom does having news literacy matter? Using a national survey of US adults (N = 1700) that included the largest set of COVID-19-related misperceptions examined to date (k = 84), we tested how the effects of news literacy on misperceptions vary across ideology and ideological media consumption. Although holding a higher level of news literacy is associated with fewer misperceptions in general, it helps conservatives less than it helps liberals. Moreover, although news literacy is associated with mitigating the misperception-inducing effect of ideological media consumption on both ends of the political spectrum, this potential benefit appears to be weaker for conservative media use than for liberal media use. Finally, the benefit of having news literacy is maximized among cross-cutting consumers of ideological media but dampened among like-minded consumers, particularly conservatives with heavy conservative media consumption. We discuss the implications of our findings for identifying subgroups for future news literacy interventions and understanding the potentials and challenges of using news literacy to combat misinformation in a polarized climate.

This paper focuses on the content features of intentional deceptive information in the news (i.e., fake news) and on social media. Based on an extensive review of relevant literature (i.e., political journalism and communication, computational linguistics), we take stock of existing knowledge and present an overview of the structural characteristics that are indicative of intentionally deceptive information. We discuss the strength of underlying empirical evidence and identify underdeveloped areas of research. With this paper, we aim to contribute to the systematic study of intentional deception in the news and on social media and to help setting up new lines of research in which intentionally deceptive news items can be operationalized in consistent ways.

During the past few decades, educators, advocates and researchers have developed initiatives to increase news media literacy. Recent surveys indicate that audiences combine agendas from various media to suit their own needs through group discussion. This process is called “agenda melding.” Agenda melding includes the “need for orientation” function in a social context that acknowledges that the perceived importance of news issues changes in relation to their discussions with others. Using an online survey instrument with a sample of young adults, this study measures the level of news media literacy in young adults and examines the relationship between news media literacy, mindfulness, locus of control, and agenda melding. This study sought to determine whether relationships exist between the agenda melding process and news media literacy. Findings suggest that participation in the agenda melding process is associated with increases in levels of news media literacy.

News media literacy competencies and motivation in teachers are critical to media education initiatives. This article draws on a survey of 97 primary and secondary school teachers conducted as part of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and University of Tasmania’s national Media Literacy Project in 2018. The data reveals challenges in the implementation of media literacy in classrooms, highlighting a generational divide linked to Australians’ rising consumption of news from digital sources and social media platforms. While teachers overwhelmingly say critical thinking about media is very important for students, nearly a quarter of these teachers are not engaging with news stories in the classroom. The data suggests responses require new resources, a review of teacher training, curriculum support, wider community collaboration and further research in the field.

Researchers, educationalists, educational policymakers, and education technologists have recently focused much of their attention on what it means to be literate in a densely mediated society. Therefore, we have raised the following questions: what has the conception of literacy—once understood merely as the ability to encode and decode a text—developed into today? What aspects are considered most pertinent to literacy as a complex phenomenon in contemporary research? What is the rationale behind combining two concepts—information literacy and media literacy—into the complex notion of Media and Information Literacy (MIL)? The method applied in this research is a state-of-the-art review that addresses current matters in comparison with previous research. In this paper, we have drawn extensively on institutional definitions of media literacy and information literacy, particularly those adopted by UNESCO and the European Commission. The conceptual frameworks of these entities have been considered alongside academic research in the field of literacy. Skillfully filtering information and critically appraising its quality—in any kind of message and across any type of media—is vital. Synthesizing overlapping literacies has proved useful because overarching composite concepts like Media and Information Literacy reflect the complex nature of the mediated world and encompass the skills, knowledge, and attitudes needed to engage with diverse sources of information and evaluate their quality.

This is a position paper on the capacity for media and information education in the UK in 2014 to facilitate media, digital and information literacy as defined by the European Commission (EC) and on the relationship between UK media/information education, regulation and law. The report analyzes the extent to which achievement in Media Studies can be mapped against EC objectives for media literacy. It concludes that while the UK has strong provision of Media Studies in the curriculum, there is a mismatch between curriculum content, assessment modes, and media literacy policy objectives, with barriers from policy and cultural prejudice preventing full realization of media literacy goals.

This paper describes teachers’ perceptions of their ICT and media competencies, and the importance they assign to these competencies in teacher training. A questionnaire was used as a data collection instrument based on UNESCO’s proposals on ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) and MIL (Media and Information Literacy). A total of 402 teachers and pre-service teachers participated in the questionnaire. This is an exploratory cross-sectional study employing quantitative descriptive and correlational methodology. Findings reveal that the self-perceived competence of teachers is low and that the self-perceived level is consistently lower than the importance given to the corresponding competence. Greater importance is assigned to MIL competencies than to ICT competencies, which questions the tendency to prioritize technological and didactic training over media education training. The study concludes with the need for a paradigm shift towards convergence in teacher training policies for the digital age, and proposes a global model of teacher competencies in media and ICT (COMPROMETIC) that integrates MIL competencies with those of ICT teachers. The model is based on a double convergence: that of different literacies, and that of the resulting multi-literacy with the specific training of education professionals in ICT and media.

This paper presents an overview of UNESCO’s Media and Information Literacy (MIL) Curriculum for Teachers. The overview explores key program areas for trainers to teach issues related to MIL and the competences needed for developing programs. These program areas include a conceptual and organizational framework; production and use of information; media texts and information sources; evaluation and analysis; media audiences; democratic discourse and social participation; approaches for curriculum adaptation; and pedagogical approaches for the classroom (textual analysis, contextual analysis, case study, translation, simulation, and production). After introducing these key areas of the program, the paper concludes by offering recommendations for the successful development, adaptation, and implementation of MIL programs. The main recommendations are: curriculum leaders must be available for training, support, and consultation; promotion of teacher networks implementing MIL initiatives; inclusion in official educational curriculum documents; analyzing student needs before implementing curriculum modules; facilitating online resources for teachers; professionalizing MIL teachers; promoting collaboration between community members (family, teachers, students, and other stakeholders); and conducting research to identify best practices and new trends to be developed.

Teachers must first acquire the necessary media literacy skills, strategies, dispositions, and pedagogy to effectively integrate media literacy into their instruction. Previous studies have also suggested designing curricular resources as an effective form of media literacy professional learning. This case study examined how high school teachers from different content areas integrated media literacy into their instruction while participating in an online professional development course, and how they applied the content from the course to design media literacy instruction. Findings indicated that teachers made minor changes to their previous instructional practices, suggesting that participation in the online course led them to think about media literacy integration in new ways. Additionally, teachers applied the professional development content by using media to build background knowledge, offering explicit media literacy strategy instruction and support, promoting independent practice at the intersection of content curricula and media literacy, and assigning media production to demonstrate content knowledge. Recommendations include equipping teachers with media literacy background knowledge, examining instruction stemming from media literacy professional development, and empowering teachers to design media literacy instruction through critical lenses.

This curriculum offers 10 lesson plans that cover some of the major themes of Media and Information Literacy (MIL) in the digital era. The lesson plans are written as a teaching guide and combine core knowledge content with ‘MILAB’ activities that enable educators to explore further how to incorporate MIL in the classroom. The curriculum is student‑centred and project‑based, encouraging critical thinking skills through Analyse/Interpret/React (AIR). It uses SavoirDevenir’s ‘7Cs’ competences linked to human rights values such as freedom of expression, dignity, privacy, participation, and education.

The curricular integration of Media and Information Literacy (MIL) is crucial for cultivating informed, critical, and engaged citizens in contemporary society. It assists in addressing the challenges of the digital era and capitalizing on the opportunities presented by the ever-changing media landscape. Thus, the present systematic literature review uses the PRISMA guidelines to examine three dimensions in the process of integration of Media and Information Literacy (MIL) in the prescribed curriculum: formulation, implementation, and evaluation and challenges. Starting with the search criteria, 131 studies were found in the Web of Science, Scopus, ERIC, Dialnet, and Google Scholar databases, published between January 2013 and March 2023, written in English, Spanish, Portuguese, and Turkish. The findings suggest that the will of the political sphere and the activism of the triad composed of passionate teachers, civil society, and academia are key factors for promoting the introduction of MIL in formal education. Likewise, it is underlined that the evaluation of this education policy requires special attention in order to guarantee the analysis of its reach, effectiveness, and capacity to adapt against the challenges that emerge in the media ecosystem. Thus, the intention is to provide up-to-date information for the creation of policies, research studies, and curricular content on this subject.

Utilizing a mixed-method approach, this research aims to evaluate algorithmic literacy among students at the University of Sarajevo – Faculty of Political Sciences and the Faculty of Philosophy (BIH), and to assess the possibilities for improving existing practices of media and information literacy (MIL) integration. The central research question investigates how current MIL educational strategies influence students’ awareness and understanding of the roles algorithms play in the digital transformation of a society striving for sustainable development. The study encompasses a descriptive method with holistic approach elements, including strategic documents, MIL book editions, and MOOC modules. Subsequently, a thematic analysis of ten qualitative interviews with students further explores their experiences, attitudes, and perceptions regarding information, media, and algorithms. The research results offer insights into the potential of MIL education to support algorithmic literacy and its contribution to sustainable development, particularly focusing on SDG 4 – Quality Education. By aligning its findings with the objectives of a universally applicable goal, this study not only addresses the context of algorithmic literacy as an integral component of quality education but also serves as a step towards advancing the interconnectedness of open education and artificial intelligence.

Media and Information Literacy (MIL) is essential for navigating information as technology continues to grow. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, teaching and learning were implemented through online platforms, requiring academicians and students to be equipped with media and information literacy. In the digital age, where business success depends on staff performance, MIL integration is crucial. MIL empowers people to be curious, to search, to critically evaluate, to use, and to contribute information and media content wisely. It also calls for competence in knowing one’s rights online, combating online hate speech and cyberbullying, addressing misinformation and disinformation, and understanding the ethical issues surrounding access and use of information. Academic personnel require knowledge, skills, and psychological capacity to teach, research, and serve the community. These age-, gender-, socio-religious-, educational-, and literacy-diverse individuals behave differently. This study proposes the moderating role of socio-demographic factors between MIL and individual work performance to improve academic staff capabilities and service delivery.

The Tor anonymity network is difficult to measure because, if not done carefully, measurements could risk the privacy (and potentially the safety) of the network's users. Recent work has proposed the use of differential privacy and secure aggregation techniques to safely measure Tor, and preliminary proof-of-concept prototype tools have been developed in order to demonstrate the utility of these techniques. In this work, we significantly enhance two such tools---PrivCount and Private Set-Union Cardinality---in order to support the safe exploration of new types of Tor usage behavior that have never before been measured. Using the enhanced tools, we conduct a detailed measurement study of Tor covering three major aspects of Tor usage: how many users connect to Tor and from where do they connect, with which destinations do users most frequently communicate, and how many onion services exist and how are they used. Our findings include that Tor has ~8 million daily users, a factor of four more than previously believed. We also find that ~40% of the sites accessed over Tor have a torproject.org domain name, ~10% of the sites have an amazon.com domain name, and ~80% of the sites have a domain name that is included in the Alexa top 1 million sites list. Finally, we find that ~90% of lookups for onion addresses are invalid, and more than 90% of attempted connections to onion services fail.

This paper explores how 20-something Facebook users understand and navigate privacy concerns. Based on a year long ethnographic study in Toronto, Canada, this paper looks at how - contrary to many mainstream accounts - younger users do indeed care about protecting and controlling their personal information. However, their concerns revolve around what I call social privacy, rather than the more conventional institutional privacy. This paper also examines the somewhat subversive practices which users engaged in to enhance their own social privacy, and in some cases, violate that of others. Finally, this paper examines some of the reasons that users may continue using the site, despite privacy concerns.

This research investigated the impact of media and information literacy (MIL) on education faculty students’ acquisition of the skills needed to detect fake news. A one-group experimental design was employed with a randomly selected sample of 100 Jordanian undergraduate students. The participants completed one pre-test and two post-tests, each consisting of 10 closed-ended questions and one open-ended question on how to detect fake news. The results indicated that studying MIL has a significant impact on students’ acquisition of the skills needed to detect fake news. The findings also suggested that the methods students employed to identify and detect fake news after studying the MIL course were scientific and well-reasoned. Based on the results, several recommendations are made that will be of value to researchers and practitioners in this field.