In September, the quiet, narrow lanes of many villages in Jharkhand came alive as women and young girls dressed in vibrant, colourful attires, took to the streets holding banners in yellow, orange, and white. The banners, consisting of media literacy tips, caught the attention of the villagers, sparking conversation and curiosity in the rural communities.
These media literacy village walks were initiated by Tarun Kumar, a FactShala trainer, as part of his mission to uplift and empower the rural community. As the founder of Nischay Foundation, a non-profit organisation dedicated to addressing a range of social issues including children’s welfare, women’s empowerment, menstrual hygiene, healthcare, and education in rural Jharkhand, Tarun has a deep understanding of, and connection to the challenges faced by people in these areas.
Collaborating with Factshala as a trainer provided him with a powerful platform to connect with and empower more people. This time, however, the focus was on media literacy, a much-needed intervention in rural areas. Journeying across the state, Tarun conducted many FactShala training sessions and witnessed firsthand the limited access to accurate information as well as the prevalence of financial scams, gaming frauds, and other issues in rural communities. He also realised that many people were aware of the unreliability of the information they received but lacked the resources and knowledge to verify it. Additionally, Tarun observed a general lack of interest and awareness in media literacy, which made it difficult to gather large groups for these training sessions.
Determined to address these issues and cultivate a culture of media literacy across various villages in Jharkhand, Tarun introduced media literacy walks as a unique twist to the traditional Factshala training sessions. Tarun’s approach was simple yet impactful: He brought together enthusiastic and motivated women and young girls from villages such as Mahisadhara, Tilaboni, and Chupudera, and provided them with regular training sessions on the fundamentals of media literacy and techniques for identifying misinformation and fake messages
Following the training, the group embarked on media literacy walks through the lanes of these villages, with their collective voices echoing slogans and taglines. Their goal was to spread essential media literacy tips among the villagers, help them recognise misinformation, safeguard themselves against fraud, and become well-informed citizens
These media literacy walks served as a medium for Tarun to take media literacy to the villagers, eliminating the need for them to set aside time for formal training sessions. They also initiated community engagement, sparking conversations along the way. As more people joined these walks, the initiative gained momentum, strengthening its impact. Reflecting on its significance, Tarun emphasizes,
“These sessions are more than just walks; they’re dynamic educational platforms for increasing media literacy awareness and empowering communities with the skills they need to navigate today’s media and information landscape”
Moreover, through the village walks, Tarun tapped into the immense potential and influence that women hold to drive change within the community. He firmly believes that by “prioritizing the education of women, a ripple effect can be generated, leading to the empowerment of an entire family”. And indeed, it did.
The village walks have brought about a positive shift in the mindset and approach of the people towards media literacy. Tarun emphasizes,
“People learned the crucial lesson that blindly trusting everything on social media is not wise, as anyone can post anything. They now understand the importance of verifying information and consulting trusted sources whenever they come across new information”
Additionally, the villagers have become aware that much of the content on social media is deliberately crafted to induce panic, doubt, and fear.
Tarun’s efforts to educate and raise media literacy awareness did not stop there. After each village walk, Tarun made it a point to share his contact details with everyone. This practice has resulted in people regularly reaching out to Tarun whenever they have questions or uncertainties about anything they come across online or in their daily lives. This ongoing interaction has not only helped people apply what they’ve learned and adopt a critical mindset but has also reaffirmed Tarun’s unwavering commitment to the continued empowerment of the rural community.