Media and Information Literacy Repository – South Asia

Social media assume a role in activism by enabling the powerless to voice widely shared grievances and organise unequally distributed resources. However, the predominant focus on the episodic effect of social media in the digital activism literature presents a limited understanding of how social media can play a role at different level of grassroots involvement and for movement continuity. By adopting a multidimensional empowerment perspective and extending the temporal scope in examining social media-enabled social movements, this study expounds on the logic of connective action (in contrast to the conventional logic of collective action) to offer a theory of social media empowerment. The study builds on a case study of an environmental movement to derive two key contributions: (1) it extends our knowledge of grassroots organising through a conceptualisation of the processes of how social media can allow individuals to assume a more proactive role in driving a social movement and (2) it provides a new understanding of the use of social media to sustain activism over time through the conceptualisation of social media empowerment mechanisms. A framework for social media empowerment in social movements is offered with implications for the mobilising practices of grassroots leaders and organisations.

Social media platforms are popular sites, attracting millions of users who connect digitally. This has prompted some to argue that social media has promoted the return of Habermas’s ([1989] 1991) public sphere. We use data from in-depth interviews with Millennials and Generation Xers to refute this claim. Specifically, our results suggest that respondents do not engage in communicative action typical of the public sphere because they avoid political discourse online. Three factors influence this: (1) fear of online harassment and workplace surveillance; (2) engagement only with politically similar others; and (3) characterization of social media as a place for “happy” interactions. In addition, we find that these three factors interrelate, often sequentially, and we explore similarities and minor differences between Millennials and Generation Xers regarding each factor.

This study examines the concept of media literacy in the context of rapid technological developments and the expansion of digital media. It discusses how new media platforms, including social networks and digital communication tools, have transformed the way people access, interpret, and produce information. The research emphasizes that media literacy is essential for enabling individuals to critically analyze media content, recognize misinformation, and participate effectively in digital society. It also explores the educational, social, and cultural challenges associated with promoting media literacy, highlighting the need for structured educational programs and policy support. The study concludes that strengthening media literacy is vital for empowering citizens and ensuring responsible media consumption in the digital age.

Media and information literacy (MIL) projects are crucial for a country’s development because they provide citizens with access to important information, resources, and knowledge about their rights and responsibilities. For the past decade, international organizations such as UNESCO, Internews, and DW-Akademie have funded training programs and projects to improve MIL in Central Asia. This study examines the sustainability indicators of foreign aid initiatives supporting MIL in Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. It analyzes historical trends, policy frameworks, and stakeholder perspectives, including interviews with trainers and experts. The research highlights the importance of public-private partnerships, technological integration, and cultural context in ensuring long-term sustainability and effectiveness of foreign aid programs in media literacy. The findings offer insights and recommendations for policymakers, practitioners, and researchers to improve the sustainability and impact of foreign assistance in the MIL sector.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the views of librarians on access to Information for Sustainable Development in Enugu State, Nigeria in the Digital Age. Access to information is said to play a major role in the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).In Nigeria, access to information is increasing and yet does not seem to be making real impact towards the realization of the SDGs. Four research questions were formulated to guide the study and descriptive survey design was adopted. The area of study was Enugu State. The population of the study comprised all 93 librarians from the University of Nigeria Nsukka and Enugu State University of Science and Technology. The instrument for data collection included a combination of oral interview and a structured questionnaire made up of four clusters and 76 items on a 4-point scale of Strongly Agree (SA), Agree (A), Disagree (D) and Strongly Disagree (SD). All 93 librarians were sampled using the questionnaire and oral interviews were conducted with librarians at the management level. Of the 93 questionnaires distributed, 72 useful copies were received and analyzed. The findings revealed that librarians access information on Sustainable Development Goals highly because of available resources and infrastructure. Responses to the oral interviews showed that information facilities are not available in many urban and rural communities where most citizens reside. A number of challenges were identified, including poor information structure, poor electricity supply and Internet connectivity, inadequate publicity of government programs on SDGs and non-involvement of people in key decision making. Government should improve the information architecture to widen access to information on SDGs through partnering with the libraries, increase publicity of accurate and relevant information, and involve citizens in the decision-making process.

For a nation to be developed, it requires information. Today, information is the most important singular variable which differentiates and determines whether a country is the first, second, third or fourth world. Information has a key role to play in the attainment of sustainable development goals. The roles of libraries in attaining the sustainable development goals are indispensable. Information as a commodity, if properly utilized for decision making, policy formulation, research and educational purposes can result in sustainable development. This paper looks at information literacy, skills required of individuals, importance of information literacy, roles of libraries as agents of information literacy for the attainment of sustainable development, challenges and imperatives for sustainable development.

The study examined media literacy skills forpromoting sustainable development in Rivers State. Threeresearch questions guided the study. The study anchored oninformation literacy theory. The survey research design wasadopted using a sample of 167 respondents drawn from apopulation of 278 lecturers in the four departments ofCommunication, film and media studies using proportionatesampling technique. The instrument for data collection was aquestionnaire which was validated by experts and used for datagathering. The reliability of the instrument was established at 0.82using the Pearson Product Moment Correlation Co-efficient(PPMC). The study found amongst others that critical andanalytical thinking, digital literacy, environmental literacy,cultural and social awareness, and collaborative communicationare media literacy skills needed for promoting sustainabledevelopment. The study concluded that media literacy andeducation can potentially empower the citizens to be able tocritically analyze and evaluate media messages, be betterinformed, engage, and be proactive in addressing both local andglobal issues that can bring about sustainable development inRivers State. Media literacy skills were essential for the citizens tobe well informed on the various types of media outlets and theirroles in promoting sustainable development in Rivers State-Nigeria. The study recommended amongst others thatPolicymakers and curriculum planners begin to think along thelines of integrating media literacy into the school curriculum. Thiswill help students develop a holistic understanding of media andits impact on society

Education for sustainable development (ESD) has been identified by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as a core requirement for achieving success in the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Research around data, information and people for achieving success in different SDGs shows how important ESD is. Research also shows that the library and information sector can contribute in many ways to achieve the UN SDGs. Therefore, it is crucial that a strategic approach is taken to embed the concepts of SDGs and their targets and indicators, and the corresponding data and information required to achieve those, within the information science curricula, so that the SDGs form the foundation of information science education, research and professional activities. This article aims to develop a research agenda for education and research in information sciences for promoting and achieving success in different SDGs. First, taking the approach of a metareview, this article shows the trends, as well as challenges, of research and development activities around information for sustainable development. This article demonstrates how the different activities of the LIS (Library and Information Science) sector can be mapped onto some specific targets and indicators of different SDGs, and based on this, it develops an agenda for education and research in information for sustainable development. The research agenda will lead to the development of new information sciences curricula to accommodate the SDGs for training and research in specific LIS activities. This article discusses how the research agenda will also lead to the development of trained professionals in information science for promoting the concepts, and achieving the targets, of the SDGs for a sustainable future.

"Education for Global Citizenship: An ETFO Curriculum Development Inquiry Initiative" is a 2010 project developed with the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) to framework and implement global citizenship education. It emphasizes fostering critical thinking, social justice, and active, responsible engagement with local and global issues.

This publication, titled Global Citizenship Education: Topics and learning objectives, is the first pedagogical guidance from UNESCO on global citizenship education. It is the result of an extensive research and consultation process with experts from different parts of the world. This guidance draws on the UNESCO publication Global Citizenship Education: Preparing learners for the challenges of the 21st century and the outcomes of three key UNESCO events on global citizenship education: the Technical Consultation on Global Citizenship Education (September 2013), as well as the First and Second UNESCO Fora on Global Citizenship Education, organized in December 2013 and January 2015 respectively. Before it was finalized, the guidance was field-tested by education stakeholders in selected countries in all regions to ensure its relevance in different geographical and socio-cultural contexts.

UNESCO is leading global efforts on Global Citizenship Education (GCED), which is at the core of Target 4.7 of Sustainable Development Goal 4 on Education. To address the perception that the concept of GCED is concerned mainly with global matters and maybe dissociated from local needs and realities, UNESCO has identified local/national/traditional precepts and concepts that are similar to the UNESCO understanding of global citizenship. As culturally relevant expressions of GCED and to contribute to building peace through the implementation of GCED, the concepts identified here can serve as entry-points to teach and learn about GCED in more locally relevant ways.

This publication provides useful information on integrating GCED concepts, principles and activities into curricula and teaching practices covering a broad spectrum of issues and pedagogies. It contains exemplars illustrating how GCED can be integrated into various subject areas. Diverse resources and materials listed in the document also offer readers a wide range of references. Underscoring the pragmatic objective of this work is the need for teachers to become global citizens themselves.

The Latin America and the Caribbean Regional Network Meeting on Global Citizenship Education “Towards a World without Walls: Global Citizenship Education in SDG 4 – Agenda E2030”, was organized by the UNESCO Regional Bureau for Education in Latin America and the Caribbean (OREALC / UNESCO Santiago) and the Asia – Pacific Centre of Education for International Understanding (APCEIU), in collaboration with the Chilean Observatory of Educational Policies (OPECH) of the University of Chile. The event, held on October 23 and 24, 2017, in Santiago, Chile, brought together regional researchers, members of civil society organizations and activists, educational communities, social movements, government educational authorities and universities. The objective of the meeting was to promote dialogue on the concept of Global Citizenship Education (GCED), deepen the regional perspective on the topic and create a network that helps strengthen the implementation of GCED in the context of the Latin America and the Caribbean region. This document summarizes the main topics addressed and issues discussed at the meeting. Subsequently, the founding document of the Regional Global Citizenship Education Network for Latin America and the Caribbean, which was elaborated in light of the meeting’s discussions, is presented.

The transnational movement of people and ideas continues to reshape how students and citizens imagine places and cultures. Considering our constant exposure to information delivered via mass media, global educators are tasked with engaging students in learning activities that help them develop skill sets that include a globally minded, critical media literacy. Grounded in cultural studies, and framed by Andreotti's (2006) work in critical global citizenship education (GCE) and Appadurai's (1996) concept of mediascapes, this article examines how eleven global educators in as many countries use films to teach about what they considered to be the “6 C's” of critical global media literacy: colonialism, capitalism, conflict, citizenship, and conscientious consumerism. How global educators foster globally minded, critical media literacy in their classrooms, the resources they use to teach about perspectives too often marginalized in media produced in the Global North, and how educating students about media informs action within global citizenship education in the social studies are discussed.

This study investigated the effect of media and information literacy (MIL) on the ability to identify fake news, disinformation and misinformation, and sharing intentions. The experimental approach was selected to study both the control group and experimental group made up of a total of 187 respondents. Comparative analysis of the two groups revealed that although more respondents in the experimental group were able to identify the inauthenticity of information presented to them, some of the respondents in the control group were also able to do the same, even though they did not receive MIL training. Conversely, some respondents in the experimental group, even though they were trained in MIL, could not determine the inauthenticity of information, possibly because the one-off training given to them did not allow them to assimilate all the information in one sitting. Nonetheless, the results of the bivariate correlation computation showed that MIL trained respondents were more likely to determine authenticity or otherwise of information and less likely to share inaccurate stories. This means that when MIL increases, sharing of fake news decreases. This is yet another evidence that MIL enables information consumers to make informed judgments about quality information. It is recommended that MIL is incorporated into mainstream educational modules andconsistently revised to reflect the demands of the times. MIL programs must also con-sider how to effectively reach those without formal education. Actors within the information, communications, and media ecology must contribute to their quota in making information consumers more discerning with the right MIL sensitisation.

Given the seemingly ever-increasing scholarly production about the ideas and ideals of global citizenship education (GCE), it is not surprising those discussions started to gain influence in teacher education (TE) debates. In this study, we examine the discourses that tacitly shape the meanings of GCE within the contemporary academic literature on TE. After analyzing the peer-reviewed scholarship published from 2003 to 2018, we identified patterns in how GCE for TE was described and defended, beyond the differences in their conceptual frameworks. The dominant trend found is to frame GCE as a redemptive educational solution to global problems. This framing requires teachers to embrace a redemptive narrative following a model of rationality based on altruistic, hyperrationalized and overly romanticized ideals. Ultimately, literature contributes to the configuration of an excessively naïve discourse that tends to ignore the neoliberal context in which both GCE and TE take place today.

The authors developed a structural model of formation of information and media literacy of higher education applicants and the use of “cloud” technologies in the educational process of sustainable development. The researchers analyse the levels of formation of such literacy of higher education applicants in the process of sustainable development (cognitive and informative, constructive and search, creative and productive levels). The authors noted the effectiveness of the designed model. Positive dynamics of the development of indicators of the mobility under research are demonstrated on the basis of comparative analysis of the generalized obtained data before and after the experiment. The article presents the methodology of interaction of information and media literacy and “cloud” technologies in the educational process. Summarizing the results of the experimental research using statistical and comparative methods of analysis, made it possible to trace the dynamics of quantitative and qualitative changes in the basic structural components, in particular in the indicators of the interaction of information and media literacy and “cloud” technologies in the educational process of sustainable development of higher education applicants. The results of the research indicate the significant increase in all indicators.

The following is excerpted from a white paper produced for the Catherine and John MacArthur Foundation as part of their launch of a new initiative on Youth and Digital Learning. The full report can be read at http://www.projectnml.org. In this first part, we establish how the opportunities and risks posed by the new participatory culture force us to reassess media education for the 21st century. In the second installment, we will identify a framework of social skills and cultural competencies that we feel should be the foundations for this new media literacy education.

Digital storytelling in cultural and heritage tourism offers significant potential for youth engagement through social media platforms. However, current digital storytelling frameworks illustrate research gaps in integrating digital storytelling guidelines with social-media-specific requirements. Therefore, this review aims to develop an integrated digital storytelling for social media framework that extends traditional digital storytelling guidelines with four additional elements of contemporary digital engagement. The investigation employs bibliometric analysis through VOSviewer software version 1.6.20 to examine four paired domains: digital storytelling and cultural tourism, digital storytelling and social media, youth and cultural tourism, and youth interaction with digital storytelling through social media. Results revealed thematic clusters informing the development of four new framework elements: (1) social media platform integration, (2) multimedia engagement, (3) community participation, and (4) cultural authenticity. This review contributes to the knowledge by advancing digital storytelling theory through social-media-specific elements, providing methodological innovation through comprehensive domain analysis, and offering practical implementation strategies for cultural tourism practitioners.

The concept of digital literacy has been defined in numerous ways over the last two decades to incorporate rapid technological changes, its versatility, and to bridge the global digital divide. Most approaches have been technology-centric with an inherent assumption of cultural and political neutrality of new media technologies. There are multiple hurdles in every stage of digital literacy implementation. The lack of solutions such as local language digital interfaces, locally relevant content, digital literacy training, the use of icons and audio excludes a large fraction of illiterate people. In this article, we analyse case studies targeted at under-connected people in sub-Saharan Africa and India that use digital literacy programmes to build knowledge and health literacy, solve societal problems and foster development. In India, we focus on notable initiatives undertaken in the domain of digital literacy for rural populations. In Sub-Saharan Africa, we draw from an original project in Kenya aiming at developing digital literacy for youth from low-income backgrounds. We further focus on Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso and Tanzania, where field studies have been conducted on the use of digital technologies by low-literacy people and on how audio and icon-based interfaces and Internet lite standard could help them overcome their limitations. The main objective of this article is to identify key performance indicators (KPIs) in the context of digital literacy skills as one of the pillars for digital inclusion. We will learn how digital literacy programmes can be used to build digital literacy and how KPIs for sustainable development can be established. In the final discussion, we offer lessons learned from the case studies and further recommendation for stakeholders and decision-makers in the field of digital health literacy.

L Elkins (1998), recently appointed editors of the Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, noted in their first issue of the journal that the potential for such reinvention is reflected in the way “texts and literate practices of everyday life are changing at an unprecedented and disorienting pace” (p. 4). Attributing the changes largely to new information technologies arid to the complex multiliteracies that these technologies entail (New London Group, 1997), Luke and Elkins characterizled the era in which we are living as New Times. It is a time of major shifts in cultural practices, economic systems, and social institutions on a global scale; a time when literacy educators from around the world are speculating about the ways in which new technologies will alter conceptions of reading and writing.

This article explores the urgent need for integrating media literacy and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into the educational process, especially in the face of increasing information warfare and technological changes. The authors argue that media literacy is not only a skill but a crucial tool for ensuring critical thinking and social stability. They emphasize the role of educators as primary „operators” of information and discuss how improved media literacy can make educational systems more resilient against external threats. Utilizing an interdisciplinary approach, the article aims to develop effective systems for bolstering the media literacy of educational staff as a pathway to achieving specific Sustainable Development Goals.

Students who participated in a required yearlong Grade 11 English media/communication course that incorporated extensive critical media analysis of print, audio, and visual texts were compared with students from a demographically matched group who received no instruction in critically analyzing media messages. A nonequivalent group's design examinedstudents' reading comprehension, writing skills, critical reading, critical listening, and critical viewing skills for nonfiction informational messages. Results suggest that media literacy instruction improvesstudents' ability to identify main ideas in written, audio, and visual media. Statistically significant differences were also found for writing quantity and quality. Specific text analysis skills also improved, including the ability to identify the purpose, target audience, point of view, construction techniques used in media messages, and the ability to identify omitted information from a news media broadcast in written, audio, or visual formats.

The aim of research is to determine differences in media literacy competences in relation to socio-demographic characteristics of examinees from academic society in Serbia. This research was conducted in 2013 on 726 examinees. Hypotheses have been analysed by multivariate analysis of variant (MANOVA) and correlation analysis while testing differences in professions regarding incomes has been done by X2 analysis. The results show that there are significant differences in media literacy competences among examinees regarding gender, age, area of education and income. The results do not differ from the results of other cultural, economic and social contexts.

The 21st century has marked an unprecedented advancement of new media. New media has become so pervasive that it has penetrated into every aspect of our society. New media literacy plays an essential role for any citizen to participate fully in the 21st century society. Researchers have documented that literacy has evolved historically from classic literacy (reading-writing understanding) to audiovisual literacy to digital literacy or information literacy and recently to new media literacy. A review of literature on media literacy reveals that there is a lack of thorough analysis of unique characteristics of new media and its impacts upon the notion of new media literacy. The purpose of the study is to unpack new media literacy and propose a framework for a systematic investigation of new media literacy.