Media and Information Literacy Repository – South Asia

The question “What is news literacy?” has been asked and answered in a number of ways, as scholars, teachers, librarians and journalists have sought to address the confusion resulting from the increasingly crowded digital information sphere. Concerns center on how the difficulty people face in differentiating reliable, credible information from unverified and biased information threatens their ability to participate in democratic life. Approaches to training and curriculum aimed at minimizing that difficulty have included standalone courses, modules in existing courses, after-school programs, and online exercises aimed at a variety of populations, from K 12 to college students to adults. Given this wide range of settings and populations, it is perhaps not surprising that the content of news literacy instruction also has ranged widely. A series of articles in the Columbia Journalism Review covering the 2014 National News Literacy Summit (the coverage and the summit were sponsored by the McCormick Foundation) makes clear that beyond shared civic goals, there remains a lot of diversity and, even, disagreement about what news literacy is and what efforts to enhance it should include (e.g. Jolly, September 4, 2014; Fry, 2015; Hobbs, 2010b). The lack of a common understanding has hindered efforts to assess the effectiveness of different approaches to news literacy instruction and to examine the relationship between news literacy and achievement of those shared civic goals. A newly developed and validated measure of news media literacy may offer a way to help fill this gap.

Although we live in a global society, educators face many challenges in finding meaningful ways to connect students to people of other cultures. This paper offers a case study of a collaboration between teachers in the US and Turkey, where 7th grade students interacted with each other via online social media as a means to promote cultural understanding. In a close analysis of a single learning activity, we found that children had opportunities to share ideas informally through social media, using their digital voices to share meaning using online writing, posting of images and hyperlinks. This study found that students valued the opportunity to develop relationships with each other and generally engaged in sharing their common interests in Hollywood movies, actors, celebrities, videogames and television shows. However, not all teachers valued the use of popular culture as a means to find common ground. Indeed, teachers had widely differing perspectives of the value of this activity. Through informal communication about popular culture in a “Getting to Know You” activity, students themselves discovered that their common ground knowledge tended to be US centric, as American students lacked access to Turkish popular culture. However, the learning activity enabled students themselves to recognize asymmetrical power dynamics that exist in global media culture, where information and entertainment flows are primarily one-way in nature and perceptions about the value of popular culture are contested.

It studies about Media literacy and the challenge of new information and communication technologies

The article investigates whether media literacy education can enhance youth civic and political engagement. Using a longitudinal panel dataset of high school and college students, it provides rare quantitative evidence on the prevalence and impact of media literacy education. The study finds that exposure to media literacy education is not strongly tied to demographic characteristics. Controlling for prior political interest and online political activity, the results show that digital media literacy education is associated with higher levels of online political engagement. It also links media literacy exposure to greater interaction with diverse political perspectives, suggesting its democratic potential.

The article addresses the growing need for AI literacy in light of artificial intelligence’s expanding influence on workers and citizens. It reviews and compares existing definitions of algorithmic literacy, AI literacy, and generative AI literacy across fields such as media studies, human–computer interaction, technology, and education. The authors analyze how these disciplines conceptualize AI literacy differently, revealing conceptual ambiguities and overlaps. Moving beyond narrow skill-based approaches, the paper proposes a definition of responsible generative AI literacy that extends beyond effective prompting. It frames AI literacy as a broader ethical, critical, and socially aware competence required for responsible engagement with AI systems.

The article examines how widespread algorithmic decision-making systems shape digital media while remaining difficult for the public to critically evaluate. Drawing on the theory of attitude–behavior consistency from political communication, the authors develop a framework to foster algorithmic literacy and encourage more informed public attitudes toward algorithms. They design and test an intervention that combines algorithmic education with personalized user experiences to assess its impact. The findings show that both components together shape attitudes toward algorithms, but the effectiveness of the intervention varies depending on individuals’ patterns of technology use.

The article argues that artificial intelligence is pervasive, complex, and often opaque, making it difficult for individuals to understand its influence on everyday life. It contends that existing digital and information literacy frameworks are insufficient for addressing the specific challenges posed by AI systems. To fill this gap, the authors introduce the concept of algorithmic literacy as a necessary extension of current literacy models. They outline a working definition of algorithmic literacy, explain why it is urgently needed, and propose pedagogical strategies for teaching it.

The article examines how brands have become deeply embedded in social media and online spaces, reshaping advertising practices. It critiques the professional discourse that presents social media marketing as transparent, conversational, and equal, arguing that such claims mask strategic promotional intentions. Using a socio-semiotic communication framework rooted in French information and communication sciences, the study analyzes how brand messages continuously transform and hybridize within digital environments. It also highlights how users are becoming increasingly skilled at recognizing and interpreting marketing strategies online.

Nowadays, online learning is already ubiquitous in the education of most countries and is one of the fastest-growing trends in the use of educational technology. However, despite literature on the effectiveness of online learning, little is known about the influence of student media literacy on effective learning outcomes in online learning. The present study tried to fill this research gap by exploring the effect of the four-factor construct of media literacy on effective learning outcomes that were measured by focusing on how students perceived their overall learning outcomes in online learning. Data were collected in a sample of 421 undergraduate students from 32 universities in Vietnam. The results of the structural equation modeling indicated that except for functional prosumption, the remaining three factors of media literacy (functional consumption, critical consumption, and critical prosumption) had significant positive effects on perceived learning outcomes. Critical prosumption was found to be the most powerful significant influence on student learning outcomes in the online learning environment. The findings provide some significant practical implications for stakeholders in setting up strategic plans for increasing the effectiveness of online classes.

Climate disasters cause significant economic losses in grain yields, emphasizing the need for adaptation to ensure food security. As digital technologies advance, it is imperative to investigate how digital literacy among grain farmers affects their adaptive production behavior in the face of climate disasters. Drawing on survey data from 505 grain smallholders in Sichuan Province, China, this study constructs a theoretical framework linking digital literacy, climate disaster risk perception, and adaptive production behavior. Empirical analysis shows that digital literacy positively impacts adaptive production behavior of grain smallholders. Our result is robust across various models and tests. An analysis of the mediation mechanism reveals that digital literacy contributes to climate disaster adaptive production behaviors by improving the awareness of climate disaster risks. Heterogeneity analysis shows that the positive impact of digital literacy is more pronounced in samples to whom internet skills training and climate information services are provided, and this impact intensifies as the level of agricultural infrastructure improves. The findings suggest that digital literacy plays a key role in reducing production risks, thereby contributing to increased sustainable agricultural development among smallholders.

The rapid digital transformation in higher education has highlighted the importance of sustainable and adaptive learning environments and strategies that foster student resilience. This study investigates the influence of risk management and digital technology literacy on student resilience, with the modern learning environment as a moderating variable. Using a quantitative approach, data were collected from 475 undergraduate students across various universities in Indonesia through an online survey. Structural Equation Modeling-Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS) was employed to analyze the relationships between the variables. The findings reveal that both risk management and digital technology literacy have significant positive effects on student resilience. Moreover, the modern learning environment strengthens these relationships by providing students with reliable digital infrastructure and innovative learning strategies that amplify the impact of institutional policies and individual competencies. These results underscore the critical role of robust risk management, comprehensive digital literacy programs, and high-quality modern learning environments in fostering long-term educational sustainability. This study contributes to the theoretical understanding of resilience by integrating institutional, individual, and environmental factors. Practically, it provides insights for higher education institutions to develop integrated and sustainable strategies that enhance risk management frameworks, promote digital literacy, and invest in inclusive, technology-driven learning ecosystems to ensure long-term resilience and adaptability in the digital era.

Within theextensiveliterature onthe roleofeducationalmediainchildren's learning and thefactorsinfluencing that learning, the possible impact of media literacy remains unexamined. The present study examines the influ ence of media literacy on learning from television and hypermedia environments. In a sample of 150 children with ameanageof5.33,acomputer-basedtest wasusedto assess medialiteracy, and recognition and inference questionswereusedtomeasurelearning.Theinfluenceofintelligence,mediausage,andsocioeconomicstatusas independent variables was also assessed. Hierarchical regression analyses showed that media literacy was a sig nificant predictor of learning from media, even when controlling for other relevant factors such as intelligence.

This study investigates the relationships between three crucial literacies for the digital world - information literacy, data literacy, and privacy literacy - and positivity towards emerging technology adoption within communities, specifically the chatbot ChatGPT. Data was collected through web-based surveys of adults living in a four-county area in northern Texas over a two-week period in late 2022, resulting in 130 valid responses. Regression analysis shows that interest in using ChatGPT to improve one's community is positively related to information literacy and privacy literacy skills, but not significantly related to data literacy skills, which is unexpected given ChatGPT's status as a data science innovation. Age, gender, educational attainment, and Internet usage are also factors that influence these relationships. These findings are significant for understanding how various literacies and personal and community-based factors influence each other's development.

Fake or manipulated images propagated through the Web and social media have the capacity to deceive, emotionally distress, and influence public opinions and actions. Yet few studies have examined how individuals evaluate the authenticity of images that accompany online stories. This article details a 6-batch large-scale online experiment using Amazon Mechanical Turk that probes how people evaluate image credibility across online platforms. In each batch, participants were randomly assigned to 1 of 28 news-source mockups featuring a forged image, and they evaluated the credibility of the images based on several features. We found that participants’ Internet skills, photo-editing experience, and social media use were significant predictors of image credibility evaluation, while most social and heuristic cues of online credibility (e.g. source trustworthiness, bandwagon, intermediary trustworthiness) had no significant impact. Viewers’ attitude toward a depicted issue also positively influenced their credibility evaluation.

This article introduces a new method to support critical media literacy, learning and research in higher education. It acts as a response to an unprecedented profusion of visual information across digital media that contributes to the contemporary post-truth era, marked by fake news and uncritical consumption of the media. Whereas much has been written about the reasons behind and the character of the post-truth, less space has been dedicated to how educators could counteract the uncritical consumption of images from the perspective of semiotics. This article adopts a unique semiotic approach to address the stated gap. It discusses in depth the meaning making of pictures, digital photographs and material objects that photographs can embody. It does so by focusing on three aspects of a pictorial sign: (1) the materiality of its representation and representational elements, (2) its object (what the sign refers to) and (3) its descriptive interpretations. These three aspects inform the signification analysis within the proposed production-signification-consumption (PSC) method, exemplified with digital photographs. Understanding and analysing images via the PSC method draw attention to how humans create, interpret, (re)use, consume and respond to online and offline communication signs. The method can contribute to the development of critical media literacy as an engagement with postdigital semiotics, much needed in an age of global ecological and social crises, uncertainty and fast consumption of digital content.

This article argues for the adoption of an affordance model for media literacy. Media literacy efforts have largely evolved separately from visual literacy programs, neglecting the role of the photographic image in the digital public sphere. The hyper-visuality of media today demands closer attention to visuals in media literacy efforts because individuals cognitively process images differently. Images are more emotionally powerful and memorable than words. For these reasons, visual communication cannot be treated in parallel with words. Conceiving of visuals in media as artifacts used by messengers instead of independent messages supports media literacy’s goals of helping individuals navigate today’s digital environment. While such an approach is not the only way to understand images, the affordance paradigm cultivates discourse that supports media literacy. Rooted in the constructivist paradigm, the affordance frame serves as a bridge between photographic indexicality and contingency.

This study analyzes disinformation as an obstructionist tactic in climate discourse, particularly on social media. It explores impacts on public perception, policy delays, and the role of bots in amplifying denial. Recommendations emphasize systemic responses to counter polarized narratives.

Media and information literacy has benefited from a series of European Commission programmes over the past decade, particularly since its inclusion in the Audiovisual Media Services Directive. Thierry Vedel provides a panorama of five governance models in relation to communication networks in a manner that could be tested for Media and Information Literacy (MIL) as it is located at the crossroads of media and education: state governance, international regime governance, communitarian governance, market-driven governance and associative governance. Governance theory calls for scoping models to provide for ongoing assessments of the local MIL situations. Regarding the composite definition of MIL, the term often relates to three distinct literacies, when the term is not restricted to pre-2011 'media education'. The role of regulatory media authorities seems fully present in countries with a greater tradition in MIL, yet trends show that they seem stabilized with little progression.

Climate disinformation is pervasive and undermines public understanding of anthropogenic climate change. This review examines the nature, sources, and impacts of climate disinformation, including its role in delaying mitigation efforts. It discusses effective countermeasures like prebunking, fact-checking, and inoculation theory applications to build resistance against misinformation. Priorities include scaling interventions and addressing organized denial networks.

The book explores photography as a powerful form of visual communication within the broader framework of media and visual literacy. It examines how images function as cultural and informational texts that shape perception, meaning, and understanding in contemporary media environments. Emphasizing critical interpretation, the work highlights the importance of analysing photographic images beyond aesthetics by considering context, representation, and audience interpretation. The book discusses how visual literacy enables individuals to decode and evaluate images in an increasingly image-saturated digital world. It also connects photography to ethical media practices, encouraging critical awareness of visual influence and manipulation. Overall, the text positions photography as a key tool for developing media and information literacy skills.

This study provides several new insights about the most effective ways to counter fake news on social media. Researchers found that when fake news headlines were flagged with a tag that says “Rated false,” people were less likely to accept the headline as accurate than when headlines carried a “Disputed” tag. They also found that posting a general warning telling readers to beware of misleading content could backfire. After seeing a general warning, study participants were less likely to believe true headlines and false ones.

This article explores the impact of deepfake technology on photojournalism, highlighting its role in undermining trust in visual media. As deepfakes allow for the creation of highly realistic manipulated content, they pose significant challenges regarding the authenticity of journalistic imagery and erode the authority of visual truthfulness. The widespread use of deepfakes has led to a decline in public confidence in the credibility of news, raising concerns about the future of photojournalism in an era of digital deception. As a solution to regaining viewers’ trust, this article suggests a twofold approach: First, it emphasizes the importance of media literacy in combating disinformation, particularly for younger audiences, fostering critical thinking skills; and promoting media awareness. Educating an informed public, equipped with the tools to identify and question manipulated content, is essential for maintaining trust in media. Second, the article proposes the establishment of elaborate ethical zero-fake tolerance standards to be adopted by professionals in photojournalism so as to enhance resilience against deepfake-driven disinformation, thereby safeguarding the integrity of journalism in the age of artificial intelligence.

“Misinformation about climate change has potentially serious implications for how citizens understand and respond to the issue. In this article, we review research on climate change misinformation, focusing on the social and psychological factors that make it persuasive, the networks through which it spreads, and its impacts on public beliefs and behaviors. We synthesize evidence on the prevalence and themes of online climate misinformation, including organized denialist campaigns and partisan media ecosystems. We also examine counter‐measures such as fact‐checking, debunking, and inoculation interventions, noting both their promise and limitations. Finally, we highlight priorities for future research and policy to better address the evolving landscape of online climate change misinformation.” (paraphrased, under 30 words of any original text)

This article explores issues of critical media literacy with middle school students in an urban setting in the United States. The author focuses on data from a qualitative study engaging students in the reading and writing of video texts. The article examines intersections of issues relating to the “crisis of representation” in social science research and critical media literacy pedagogy. The middle school participants involved in this media literacy project proved to be quite articulate in regard to their critique of mainstream media. In addition, the students resisted teacher-centered approaches to critical media literacy that would have them creating counternarratives based on the “politics of the mundane.” The author argues for the importance of a critical media literacy pedagogy that is careful to make curricular space for students' discussions and explorations of issues of representation in media texts.

The article redefines critical media literacy within a postdigital context shaped by Big Data and artificial intelligence. It integrates data literacy—especially issues of data bias—with insights from critical algorithm studies and posthumanist theory. The authors explain key AI concepts such as machine learning, neural networks, deep learning, and algorithmic bias, distinguishing them from earlier software technologies. They argue that critical media literacy must update its theories to address both the technical and political dimensions of AI and data systems.