Media and Information Literacy Repository – South Asia

The media represents a crucial part of everyday communication and it has become an imperative of time and lifestyle, for which educational systems are preparing students for. Students today are commonly exposed to opposed value judgments of family, school and media; and the social system faces a challenge of how to successfully integrate all forms of media disclosure and how to change the educational system adapted to the period in which students are developing and the one they are preparing for.

Media literacy, which traditionally aims to help individuals become better-informed users through proper consumption of media messages, has historically been reshaped to reflect the characteristics of the tools that individuals utilize to consume such messages. Information and Communication Tools (ICT) developed in the 21st century, also referred to as the Digital Age, have enabled individuals to become producers of media messages in addition to consumers. Therefore, there has been a need for empirical studies into the concept of media literacy that has evolved into new media literacy with the impact of these new participatory and connective technologies. Within this regard, this study seeks to investigate the new media literacy levels of open and distance learners who primarily depend on ICT to access tertiary education. Besides, the study examines the relationship between demographic information of learners and their new media literacy skills.

This chapter identifies how media literacy education must adapt to accommodate the changing nature of young people’s experience with digital media and new communication technologies. Teachers who traditionally emphasize the processes of analysing news, advertising and entertainment media must expand their focus to include new media (like cellphones and handheld devices), new message forms (like search engines, instant messaging, blogs and online entertainment) and new social issues (including identity and anonymity, privacy and surveillance). By examining certain conceptual principles and instructional practices which may (or may not) support this shift in focus, this chapter examines the process that teachers will experience as they aim to strengthen students’ communication and critical thinking skills as full participants in the digital age.

The advent of television technologies has significantly restructured the context within which community television producers operate. Digital technologies have undercut “spectrum scarcity” arguments for limiting access to distribution platforms and opened up new paths to reach audiences. It has also, however, seen a decline in some of the regulatory structures that provided protection to noncommercial providers in eras of spectrum scarcity. The rise of the prosumer has, in its focus on production by individuals, weakened some of the underpinnings (economic and ideological) for community-based production, with consequent challenges for the sustainability of these often precarious projects. In this article, we tease out the implications of digitization for community television operators, exploring the state of the sector in the liberal North Atlantic region, and compare “traditional” community channels with “newer” channels that have emerged in the digital context in the past two decades. Our study explores the opportunities and challenges that face the sector following the transition to digital models.

Youth is not a homogeneous group. With this motto in mind, YouNDigital aims to study youth, their engagement with news, and digital citizenship dynamics. One of the core elements of the project is a digital newsroom, a space for meeting and exploring digital citizenship and news, considering the significant disparities that characterise individuals in this group. In order to better understand the target groups and to support the decisions regarding the development of the youth‐led digital newsroom, the research team carried out a systematic literature review focused on youth, digital citizenship, diversity, and different methodological approaches. This article explores the outcomes of the systematic literature review, particularly delving into the data gathered in one of the subclusters (Diversities). Findings underscore the challenges of inclusivity and diversity and the need for tailored media and digital literacy interventions that consider cultural differences, socioeconomic factors, and evolving technological landscapes. They also highlight the difficulties, as well as the positive results, of using digital tools and strategies to trigger learning and motivational processes for diverse audiences—digital tools that rely on media creation, creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration can promote the empowerment and inclusion of youth from distinct backgrounds, bridging the gap between their realities and citizenship experiences. For research teams, the findings point out that involvement in collaborative, immersive, and participatory processes anchored on sustained literature review processes can encourage distancing preconceptions while bringing them closer to research participants. The article contributes to discussions regarding the potential and the challenges of considering youth’s diverse backgrounds through pillars such as co‐creation or inclusive design, and the urgency of mitigating youth social and digital exclusion in order to enhance democratic participation.

This article contains reflections on the further structural transformation of the public sphere, building on the author’s widely-discussed social-historical study, The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere, which originally appeared in German in 1962 (English translation 1989). The first three sections contain preliminary theoretical reflections on the relationship between normative and empirical theory, the deliberative understanding of democracy, and the demanding preconditions of the stability of democratic societies under conditions of capitalism. The fourth section turns to the implications of digitalisation for the account of the role of the media in the public sphere developed in the original work, specifically to how it is leading to the expansion and fragmentation of the public sphere and is turning all participants into potential authors. The following section presents empirical data from German studies which shows that the rapid expansion of digital media is leading to a marked diminution of the role of the classical print media. The article concludes with observations on the threats that these developments pose for the traditional role of the public sphere in discursive opinion and will formation in democracies.

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.