Saniya is a media student of Carmel College [Autonomous] Mala, Thrissur district, Kerala. She may be twenty years old but her dreams and ambitions soar beyond her age. Juggling various roles, she is not just a student but also serves as a Project Assistant at the NGO Kites India, a Communications Specialist at Tale8, and a Content Associate at Official Humans of Keralam.
During the UNESCO Global Media and Information Literacy Week in October, her college organized a FactShala workshop on media and information literacy for media and communication students, led by trainer Habeeb Rahman. An inquisitive girl, she attentively absorbed all the information through the workshop, seeking to expand her understanding of the media domain.
While media literacy held significance for them as they were media students, Saniya personally resonated more with the workshop due to her previous encounter with online frauds and scams. Some time back Saniya received a message on her Instagram account offering a paid collaboration and requested her email address. Naively, she shared it, received a code, and accepted it, only to realize that her entire social media account had been hacked, leaving her without access. The hackers deleted her previous posts and began sharing random, deceptive content, causing confusion among her followers.
One simple text evolved into a big mistake, mentally draining Saniya and leaving her feeling helpless. Upon attending the workshop at her college, Saniya came to a profound realization that media literacy could have safeguarded her and others like her from online scams and frauds. Emphasizing this, she said,
“Media literacy acts like a shield, enabling us to make informed decisions and be responsible when navigating the internet”.
The workshop provided her with fresh insights into the world of media. She realized that despite being a media student, she was unaware of the abundance of easy and accessible fact-checking tools available to people to stay informed and verify the authenticity of any piece of information. Furthermore, the workshop expanded her understanding of media literacy. She emphasized,
“Media literacy is not just about avoiding fake news; it is also about comprehending why it is there and its potential impact on us. Media literacy essentially guides us in being open-minded and respectful in online conversations, allowing us to see and acknowledge different points of view”
Saniya was determined to take her learning forward to people as she thought they could greatly benefit from it in their day-to-day lives. This is particularly important as we live in an age where everyone uses the internet and faces the risk of encountering misinformation and scams on a daily basis.
She sought to focus on specific groups to maximize her outreach efforts, and as part of this strategy, she engaged with the staff at the local post office. Her reasons for holding a media literacy session with the staff were twofold. Firstly, the post office staff holds a direct link to local communities, providing an opportunity to disseminate media literacy to a wide audience. Their daily interactions within the community make them well-informed about local affairs, instances of fraud and cheating, or duping turning them into ideal conduits for media literacy.
Secondly, their work extends beyond traditional offline work as they actively operate on digital platforms daily. In a world increasingly embracing digital communication, possessing a foundational understanding of media literacy becomes crucial. Although digital media facilitates the faster spread of information, it also amplifies the potential for the dissemination of misinformation. So, merely being on the internet and consuming information is not enough; individuals must be well-informed and equipped with the fundamental and latest tools of media literacy.
Saniya visited the local post office and interacted with the enthusiastic staff. They showed genuine eagerness to learn. The fact that they recognized the significance of being media literate only facilitated Saniya’s efforts. She meticulously demonstrated the difference between information and misinformation, highlighting the various ways misinformation can manifest itself. She also acquainted them with online tools like Google Lens and guided them on how to utilize them to their fullest advantage.
She motivated the staff to disseminate the essential principles of media literacy to individuals in their local communities, those who frequent the post office, and the people they interact with on a daily basis.
Through the knowledge acquired at the Factshala workshop, Saniya, who calls herself “A Girl With Million Goals“, achieved at least one of them – inspiring people and making a positive impact on the community, all through the power of media literacy.