Amidst the diverse narratives of our democracy, the FactShala Ambassador Programme emerges as a guide, empowering individuals to navigate the media landscape with critical thinking and fostering media literacy. Especially during elections, critical thinking becomes imperative for informed choices, responsible citizenship and decision-making.
In a country as diverse as India, the FactShala Ambassador Programme stands as a beacon, reaching, engaging and empowering individuals to champion media literacy. Amidst India’s rich diversity, the Ambassador Program focuses on nurturing a discerning generation, dedicated to ingraining the instinct of fact-checking, cultivating a society where separating truth from falsehood becomes second nature. Its mission is to shape a society that is well-informed and robust, paving the way for a more resilient future.
We are very excited to partner with DataLeads on the FactShala project because Media and information literacy contribute significantly to the quality of personal as well as public life. We appreciate the opportunity this partnership offers to institutionalize the media literacy programme. I have been working in the area of media and information literacy for almost three decades now. We have had many excellent small, individual initiatives but they remain limited in their scale and scope. Partnerships foster communities and create synergy and institutionalisation facilitates sustainability of an initiative.
With an information deluge from all sides, we are a likely easy prey to harmful misinformation. Media Literacy is the best intervention that is needed to help communities navigate through the sea of inaccurate information and distinguish between legit news and false information designed to deceive.
I was really astonished when more than 500 rural girls registered for a workshop in last December. I could accommodate this huge number in three sessions, and finally, their responses were so heartening. The girls enthusiastically participated, understood the Jargon of misinformation and disinformation, liked the reallife examples of text, video and photo verification, enjoyed the interactive sessions, and found the training content very useful in their daily life.
At the outset it seemed like a very daunting task to reach out to varied interests and age groups and make them accept and challenge their own biases. However, it was a pleasant surprise to know how willing and open everyone is to break the shackles of misinformation around them and to stimulate their critical thinking abilities. Being a Factshala trainer comes with a great sense of responsibility as well as immense gratification of bringing in positive change in the society suffering from varied versions of truth
Media Literacy is important in India because it will help viewers discern the veracity and reliability of the news and information that they consume from print, electronic, digital and social media which will in turn assist them in forming their independent opinions. Independent thinkers will help in nourishing the growth of a sustainable and stable democracy in India which will truly support Free Speech, Equality and Justice for all its people, irrespective of language, religion or community.
For success and survival in the knowledge society, information literacy through multi-media approaches is critical for taking informed decisions to realise the aspirations of the people.
In these times of crisis and confusion we need more facts, more clarity and more credibility. I note with admiration that Factshala is doing this public service with commitment and creativity.
Everyone is susceptible to misinformation, at some point or another, we have all fallen prey to it. Some of us might have escaped the consequences lightly, but in a lot of other cases, the result of misinformation has been tragic. However, there are no easy, one-size-fits-all solutions to first discerning and then combating misinformation. At the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media (IIJNM), critical thinking skills have been a part of our journalism programme and faculty and staff have been working towards spreading media literacy in the region, several times in collaboration with Factshala. Integrating Factshala’s programme into the curriculum of schools and colleges across the country would mean integrating critical thinking into every young person. And, that in itself is a big step towards a society that is more aware and therefore, less susceptible to misinformation.
