Media and Information Literacy Repository – South Asia

The new media environment, through multitudinous entanglements with processes of digitization and commodification, has contributed to the formation of extreme distrust in media and institutions in advanced democracies, and fluctuations in trust relations worldwide, according to Pew Research and Gallup polling. Resulting from threats of fake news, the overabundance of information, and intentional misguidance by bad actors, individuals find it increasingly difficult to evaluate information and make informed decisions. Ideally, in democracies, institutions help foster trust between citizens and information sources by encouraging trustworthy institutions that are responsible to citizens, since trust is so fundamental to a functional democracy. This paper draws a link between trust, which is crucial to democracy, and media and information literacy (MIL), which empowers democratic principles, to suggest how the implicit reciprocity and negotiability of trust relations can be seized to advance democratization through a media and information literacy policy framework. Using the UNESCO Media and Information Literacy Policy and Strategy Guideline as a reference, this paper builds an approach to show how, through the negotiability of trust, MIL and the democratizing principle of civic agency might be concurrently advanced and mutually reinforcing by educating a citizenry more literate about media and information systems and generating democratic institutional change concurrent with greater trust between actors.

This study explores the portrayal of women on social media and its implications for gender representation, empowerment, and social work practice. It investigates how digital platforms simultaneously perpetuate stereotypes and foster spaces for resistance and advocacy. Using qualitative content analysis, data were collected from Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and TikTok to examine recurring themes in visual and textual portrayals of women. The analysis identified four dominant categories— body image, gender stereotypes, empowerment, and activism—revealing the paradox of social media as both a site of self-objectification and a medium for feminist expression. Findings indicate that while idealized portrayals reinforce unrealistic beauty standards and psychological strain, movements such as #MeToo and #BodyPositivity redefine empowerment and visibility in digital spaces. The study further highlights how intersectionality and algorithmic bias which influence women’s voices are amplified or silenced online, emphasizing the persistence of structural inequalities within digital environments. Integrating social work and media literacy emerges as a transformative approach to fostering critical awareness, resilience, and ethical engagement. Overall, the research contributes to feminist digital scholarship by illuminating the complex interplay between empowerment, inequality, and representation, urging policymakers, educators, and practitioners to promote inclusive, equitable, and socially conscious media practices that advance gender justice in the digital age.

This paper is a segment of a larger dissertation exploring the impact of digital media literacy (DML) skills on the accuracy of truth discernment. The purpose of this paper is to offer broader access to the findings and contribute to the discussions of disinformation, focusing on the significance of the accuracy of truth discernment in politics and law. As earlier studies have examined, the influx of disinformation in the digital age was a pressing global security threat, spreading rapidly through social media platforms. Disinformation, consisting of the deliberate spread of falsehoods, causing chaos and confusion eroded trust in media and government, driving citizens to believe falsehoods to be true, particularly in the absence of DML to discern the reliability of information. This study supports earlier research, revealing that simplifying access to credible information empowers individuals to retrieve trustworthy sources. The qualitative content analysis conducted in this study shows that DML skills shape truth-seeking behaviors, finding high correlations between DML skills and informed political participation. The findings of this research delineate the theoretical mechanisms of how DML skills empower individuals to engage in civil society by synthesizing themes described by scholars within the top 100 cited sample studies selected. Future researchers can assess the theoretical mechanisms outlined in this study to determine their effectiveness by implementing training programs to develop foundations for informed decision-making, political participation, and responsible sharing behavior.

There is a desideratum in the research about the interdependencies of inclusive education and media education. Digital media can facilitate individualized and cooperative learning. Additionally, digital media can be used to promote inclusion. However, which factors influence the acquisition of media and information literacy in inclusive education? Comparative international studies, e.g., the International Computer and Information Literacy Study (ICILS), show how social challenges, such as participation and handling heterogeneity at school, can be addressed through media. In numerous studies, it becomes apparent that German teachers do not sufficiently see the potential of digital media, especially for the improvement of learning opportunities for individuals with diverse learning requirements. German teachers are not well able to apply digital media appropriately in their lessons. Teachers need to be qualified and to design modern education with accessible media. In Germany, the ratio between available computers and pupils (1:4) is far better than the rate between teaching with and without computers. According to the teacher’s reports, only 9% of teachers are using digital media daily. Approximately 40% use digital media seldom or never. It seems that the cause is a skeptical attitude towards media among teachers, especially in humanities. That may result from missing didactical competences regarding digital media. The idea of Technical Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) and extending that explanatory model for teachers’ competencies on the inclusive practices builds the theoretical background for the design of joint seminars by the Research Center Youth-Media-Education as part of the Faculty for Cultural Studies and the Research Cluster Technology for Inclusion and Participation at the University of Dortmund. Prospective teachers should become familiar with this way of collaboration. Already for four years now, a teaching team from these two departments designs collaborative lectures. Inclusive teaching and learning in different contexts are practiced in tutorials with practical approaches as well. In tandems, the students develop a learning situation at school or extracurricular institutions. Afterward, they present it. The presentation focuses on the concept, its teaching and learning conditions, and competence orientation as well as opportunities and limitations.

With the overabundance of information available now, Information Literacy skills are essential for today‘s learners. Rooted in the field of Librarianship, Information Literacy encourages critical thinking – finding information, evaluating sources and forming opinions. The ability to evaluate information is imperative for all citizens but is of particular importance to students studying to be media professionals; these students will be the journalists of the future and will fill the roles of gatekeepers and arbitrators of forthcoming civic discourse. In the current era of fake news and misinformation, Information Literacy has a role to play within Journalism Education in Ireland. This dissertation examined six higher education institutions in Ireland who offer Honours BA in Journalism, Broadcasting and Media Studies and explored to what extent Information Literacy is being taught. It looked at the role of the academic librarian and the interaction between Journalism Faculties and their respective library. It discusses the overlaps of journalism and librarianship and the current discourses taking place in both subject fields regarding the proliferation of fake news within media today. It further examined the various initiatives taking place nationally and internationally in the area of media literacy and Metaliteracy. It found many similarities and overlaps in the current discourses from librarians and journalists with regard to fake news and general agreement that critical thinking and evaluation skills of students needed to improve to combat the rise of fake news. This research established that, there is poor communication and a low level of awareness of Information Literacy and other services offered by academic libraries within some Journalism and Media Faculties. It further found that journalism faculties perceive Information Literacy to be part of their remit as educators but often use different terms such as media literacy, fact-checking and verification skills. It identified an openness to the notion of a collaboration of librarians and journalism educators in formulating a bespoke Information Literacy module which can be embedded into journalism programmes, in an effort to raise the standard of future journalism.

The fight against rampant disinformation has triggered two major answers: fact-checking and news literacy. These affect the established fields of journalism and of Media and Information Literacy (MIL). They create opportunities for new entrants from the margins to enter professional fields in need of revamping. Using information and communication sciences research on policy and organizations and on the interplay between agency, platforms and networks, this analysis focuses on three main criteria for evaluating the field-configuring role of disinformation: policy rules and professional canons (to regain some lost political and economic ground), key events and projects (to provide sense-making strategies), and interactions with audiences and communities (to restore trust and reputation). Focusing on the European Union as main terrain of analysis due to its pioneering initiatives, this analysis first considers the mutual benefits afforded by the fight against disinformation. Then considers three main challenges: MIL risks being reduced to news literacy, digital journalism risks being reduced to fact-checking, and the disinformation discourse risks downscaling the emphasis on information. It concludes with the implications for the future for all actors to effect real field change in MIL and journalism.

An integrative literature review was conducted according to Coopers’ guidelines in order to critique and integrate issues over the convergence among imaginative/Waldorf pedagogy, social-emotional learning and media literacy mindfulness in Primary and Secondary education. A comprehensive analysis of theoretical and empirical articles between 2005 and 2019 was provided. Three research questions were set, discussed and analysed highlighting the followinggaps in the literature: (i) the combination of imagination pedagogies with digital media and social-emotional development is neglected, (ii) there is a lack of longitudinal studies to analyse how social-emotional skills contribute to forming critical media literacy according to student’s developmental stage, (iii) there is urgent need for reconceptualizing media literacy by encompassing and analysing its effects on cognitive, social-emotional and motivational skills development. We provide a framework presenting four perspectives, theoretical, developmental, pedagogical and social, supporting the relationship among imaginative pedagogy, media literacyand social-emotional skills.

YouTube is popular among early adolescents who engage with the platform, in part, to explore and express their identity. Yet very little is known about the ways in which early adolescents approach representation and identity expression on YouTube with a critical lens. This qualitative study details an in-school media literacy program conducted with a sample of 54 sixth graders (ages 11 and 12) from a public elementary school in New England, USA, on the topic of gender and media. Data stem from a homework assignment in which students are asked to observe and analyze gender expression and representation on YouTube. The findings show a range of interpretations of the people and content encountered on the site, including interpretations characterized as gender-stereotypical as well as counter-stereotypical by the students. Some comments from students speak directly to the implications of user-generated content for gender expression and representation.

This paper provides research findings to support the case for media literacy as an aid to journalists and journalism educators in a disruptive age through the fostering of resilient media engagement by young citizens. It posits that encouraging media literacy in news consuming publics facilitates a more critically engaged civic society. Focused on trust, it shares the outcomes of a project funded by the US Embassy in London, which brought together leading researchers from the United States and UK with a range of key stakeholders, including journalists. Their collective aim: to devise a practical strategy for harnessing media literacy to develop young people’s understanding of and ability to withstand ‘fake news’.

Enhancing digital literacy has become a national priority in Indonesia; however, university students still demonstrate limited critical competencies in analyzing, comparing, and evaluating digital information. This study aims to examine how a blended learning model fosters critical digital media literacy within communication education. This research employed a qualitative approach using a best practice case study design focusing on high-achieving students. Data were collected through classroom observations, reflective assignments, and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) involving 29 participants, and analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings indicate that blended learning facilitates students’ analytical reasoning, cross-platform comparative assessment, and systematic information evaluation. Students demonstrated strong abilities in verifying information credibility, identifying media bias, and reflecting on their own critical thinking processes. This study concludes that blended learning functions as an effective pedagogical space for cultivating higher-order critical digital media literacy competencies in communication students.

Social norms, including gender-related ones, are created and propagated in large part by the media. The media frequently perpetuates traditional gender roles and stereotypes, influencing public attitudes and actions, from TV series and commercials to movies and social media sites. This study examines the ways in which various media contribute to the creation, maintenance, and sporadic disruption of gender norms and stereotypes. It looks at the representational trends, historical background, and sociological and psychological impacts on viewers, particularly kids and teenagers. The study assesses new media trends that contradict conventional gender representations and suggests methods for advancing gender-sensitive media.

Children and youth are living today in a multi-device, multi-platform, multi-channel world, and school children are more affected by different means of media. The current study aims to investigate the effectiveness of the media literacy activities in developing the learning dimensions of the third-grade students in the light of the vision of Egypt 2030? After the application of the study tools on an experimental sample of (40) children in the third-grade primary, the results showed that the use of the activities of the school media literacy to the dimensions of learning in the light of Egypt's vision led to the improvement of the following learning skills "procedural skills and professional skills, Skills of co-existence and cooperation with others. In addition of improving the following sub-skills (Introduce new and unique ideas – problems solving Respect for opinion and other opinion - Define clear goals - Respect diversity - Selfexpression - Verbal communication - Negotiation and good inquiry - Distinguish between similarities and differences).

The representation of gender in news media significantly influences societal perceptions and reinforces or challenges existing stereotypes. This study employs a critical discourse analysis (CDA) approach to examine the linguistic and structural strategies used in media narratives to frame gender roles. By analyzing news reports from diverse global media outlets, the research identifies patterns in language, imagery, and thematic focus that shape public discourse on gender. The study explores how dominant ideologies are perpetuated through journalistic choices, particularly in the portrayal of women, non-binary individuals, and men in various sociopolitical contexts. Findings suggest that gendered framings often reflect historical inequalities, reinforcing traditional roles and limiting inclusivity. Women are frequently depicted in relation to family, appearance, or victimhood, while men are commonly portrayed as authoritative figures. Meanwhile, non-binary identities remain marginalized or are represented in a tokenistic manner. The study also examines the intersectionality of gender with other social categories, such as race, class, and nationality, to highlight the complexity of media representation. Additionally, the research evaluates the role of digital media in either reinforcing or challenging traditional gender narratives. By critically analyzing media discourse, this paper contributes to the growing scholarship on media, gender studies, and discourse analysis, providing insights into the need for more equitable representation in journalism. The study concludes by advocating for journalistic reforms that promote balanced and diverse portrayals of gender in the media landscape.

Infodemics, often including rumors, stigma, and conspiracy theories, have been common during the COVID-19 pandemic. Monitoring social media data has been identified as the best method for tracking rumors in real time and as a possible way to dispel misinformation and reduce stigma. However, the detection, assessment, and response to rumors, stigma, and conspiracy theories in real time are a challenge. Therefore, we followed and examined COVID-19–related rumors, stigma, and conspiracy theories circulating on online platforms, including fact-checking agency websites, Facebook, Twitter, and online newspapers, and their impacts on public health. Information was extracted between December 31, 2019 and April 5, 2020, and descriptively analyzed. We performed a content analysis of the news articles to compare and contrast data collected from other sources. We identified 2,311 reports of rumors, stigma, and conspiracy theories in 25 languages from 87 countries. Claims were related to illness, transmission and mortality (24%), control measures (21%), treatment and cure (19%), cause of disease including the origin (15%), violence (1%), and miscellaneous (20%). Of the 2,276 reports for which text ratings were available, 1,856 claims were false (82%). Misinformation fueled by rumors, stigma, and conspiracy theories can have potentially serious implications on the individual and community if prioritized over evidence-based guidelines. Health agencies must track misinformation associated with the COVID-19 in real time, and engage local communities and government stakeholders to debunk misinformation.

There has been much interest in studying diversity in recent years. In fact, it has gained a pivotal space not only in academia and policy discourses but also in the governmental, non-governmental and the private sectors. The work carried out by scholars like Phillips (2005, 2008), Yuval‐Davis (2006b), Siim (2009), Faist (2009), Salzbrunn (2012), Vertovec (2012), and among others suggest that there are several reasons that led to the growing interest in diversity. Yet the most important role has been played by identity-oriented feminist movements who successfully raised the issues of African American women, LGBTIQ communities, aging populations, and people with disabilities. This discourse started around the late 1950s and early 1960s. Whilst social processes of differences and diversification have been discussed in academia for a long time back. It was only around 1978 when the term ‘diversity’ explicitly came to public attention in the US in relation to forming affirmative action against racial discrimination (Büharmann, 2014). Moreover, in the last quarter of the twentieth century, with the rise of liberal political processes, globalised economic opportunities, and then transnationalisation of social and civil rights, feminist movements started to include post-colonial and migration studies and the interest on diversity increased. Likewise, the expansion of social networks, driven by digitalised information contributed further to diversity campaigns helping better organise and advance at national, regional and global levels. These campaigns aimed at ending discrimination based on gender, class, sexuality, faith, race, age, nationalities and various forms of disabilities. An analysis of academic work from the last half of the century clearly indicates that diversity debates have gradually expanded in Europe and North America and contributed to many social movements in Africa, Asia, and other parts of the world. Some examples are the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa, indigenous movement in South America, post-colonial indigenous/Adivasi and Dalit movements in India, Dalit, Janajati and ethnic and indigenous rights movements in Nepal particularly after the political change of 1990.

The current study shifts the focus of research on media’s role in facilitating and inhibiting self-stereotyping among the members of stigmatized groups. More specifically, this study proposes and tests a conceptual model explaining (un)intentional effects of a real-world anti-ageism social media campaign among stereotyped targets: Older workers. Drawing on an experiment among older Dutch adults (N = 649), we test the effects of two message strategies for reducing prejudice: the media-literacy and the counter stereotypical information strategy. The results show that exposure to content warnings as well as strong counter-stereotypical message (i.e., consisting of positive exemplars and the negation of generic age stereotypes) is powerful in inhibiting implicit stereotype endorsement, ultimately boosting favourable employability perceptions of older workers. By integrating insights from the parasocial content hypothesis and stereotype threat indications, we provide a nuanced understanding of how anti-bias campaigns impact stigmatized targets, and isolate reasons for the varied effectiveness of such interventions.

Objectives. To understand how Twitter bots and trolls (“bots”) promote online health content. Methods. We compared bots’ to average users’ rates of vaccine-relevant messages, which we collected online from July 2014 through September 2017. We estimated the likelihood that users were bots, comparing proportions of polarized and antivaccine tweets across user types. We conducted a content analysis of a Twitter hashtag associated with Russian troll activity. Results. Compared with average users, Russian trolls (χ2(1) = 102.0; P < .001), sophisticated bots (χ2(1) = 28.6; P < .001), and “content polluters” (χ2(1) = 7.0; P < .001) tweeted about vaccination at higher rates. Whereas content polluters posted more antivaccine content (χ2(1) = 11.18; P < .001), Russian trolls amplified both sides. Unidentifiable accounts were more polarized (χ2(1) = 12.1; P < .001) and antivaccine (χ2(1) = 35.9; P < .001). Analysis of the Russian troll hashtag showed that its messages were more political and divisive. Conclusions. Whereas bots that spread malware and unsolicited content disseminated antivaccine messages, Russian trolls promoted discord. Accounts masquerading as legitimate users create false equivalency, eroding public consensus on vaccination.

The media portray various social groups stereotypically, and studying the effects of these portrayals on prejudice is paramount. Yet, audience selectivity—inherent within today’s high-choice media environments—has largely been disregarded. Relatedly, the predominance of forced-exposure designs is a source of concern. This article proposes the integration of audience selectivity into media stereotype effects research. Study 1 (N¼ 1,166) indicated that prejudiced individuals tended to approach prejudice-consistent stereotypical news and avoid prejudice-challenging counter-stereotypical news. Using a forced-exposure experiment, study 2 (N¼ 380) showed detrimental effects of prejudice-consistent news and beneficial effects of prejudice-challenging news. Relying on a self-selected exposure paradigm, study 3 (N¼ 1,149) provided evidence for preference-based reinforcement. Study 4’s “net-effect perspective” (N¼ 937) indicated that operationalizing exposure as forced or self-selected can lead to different interpretations of actual societal effects. The findings emphasize the key role played by audience selectivity when studying media effects.

Although at present there is broad agreement among researchers, health professionals, and policy makers on the need to control and combat health misinformation, the magnitude of this problem is still unknown. Consequently, it is fundamental to discover both the most prevalent health topics and the social media platforms from which these topics are initially framed and subsequently disseminated. This systematic review aimed to identify the main health misinformation topics and their prevalence on different social media platforms, focusing on methodological quality and the diverse solutions that are being implemented to address this public health concern.

Film and television play a key role in shaping cultural perceptions of disability, yet they often rely on recurring stereotypes that may reinforce stigma and exclusion. While scholarly interest in this issue has grown, academic literature remains fragmented and lacks a comprehensive synthesis. This scoping review, conducted following the PRISMA-ScR methodology, examines how disability is represented through stereotypical portrayals in narrative audiovisual media, specifically scripted films and television series. It identifies peer-reviewed studies that explicitly analyze these representations and their narrative or sociocultural functions. The review maps dominant tropes, theoretical frameworks, and disciplinary approaches, and includes a qualitative analysis of the selected corpus. While persistent stereotypes remain common, the review also identifies a growing presence of more inclusive and complex portrayals that challenge traditional norms. By providing a structured overview of existing research, this study contributes to a better academic understanding of how disability is portrayed on screen and supports efforts to foster more inclusive and accurate representations in popular media.

The U.S. population is becoming more diverse in terms of race, ethnicity, religion, gender, and sexuality. In some ways, television, film, video game, and news content reflect that reality. Yet, in other ways, such content falls short, in terms of underrepresenting particular social groups and/or depicting those groups in a limited manner. The current review essay details the ways in which a number of minoritized social groups are portrayed in major media forms in the U.S. and connects to the research on implications of such depictions for minoritized as well as non-minoritized groups. A call for future research that centers the ways in which identities are intersectional, balances agency and vulnerability, and unpacks the complex and contextual nature of media content and influence is made, in addition to identifying new topical areas for research.

This qualitative study documents evidence of first year undergraduate students' collaboration processes and information literacy learning while completing research assignments in groups during a semester-long course. Focus group interviews and artifacts collected in the web-based tool Evernote allowed us to conduct an in-depth analysis of students' collaborative behavior in terms of their actions, feelings, and thoughts during information seeking behavior (Kuhlthau, 2004), and of the potential of collaboration for fostering information literacy development. Our analysis revealed that certain conditions should be present to facilitate information literacy learning through collaboration: 1) Technology that enables real-time interaction and both active and passive sharing; 2) Meshing of students' interests through the assignment framing; and 3) Students' acceptance of the collaboration technology as a worthwhile tool. In addition, multiple factors determined the extent of the information literacy learning developed through the collaborative assignment tasks, including group dynamics, prompts for students to teach each other information skills, encouragement of students to share exemplars of notes or written assignments, exposure to different points of view, and time management.

This paper aims to present a novel pedagogical model that aims at bridging creativity with computational thinking (CT) and new media literacy skills at low-technology, information-rich learning environments. As creativity, problem solving and collaboration are among the targeted skills in twenty-first century, this model promotes the acquisition of these skills towards a holistic development of students in primary and secondary school settings. In this direction, teaching students to think like a computer scientist, an economist, a physicist or an artist can be achieved through CT practices, as well as media arts practices. The interface between these practices is imagination, a fundamental concept in the model. Imaginative teaching methods, computer science unplugged approach and low-technology prototyping method are used to develop creativity, CT, collaboration and new media literacy skills in students. Furthermore, cognitive, emotional, physical and social abilities are fostered. Principles and guidelines for the implementation of the model in classrooms are provided by following the design thinking process as a methodological tool, and a real example implemented in a primary school classroom is described. The added value of this paper is that it proposes a pedagogical model that can serve as a pool of pedagogical approaches implemented in various disciplines and grades, as CT curriculum frameworks for K-6 are still in their infancy. Further research is needed to define the point at which unplugged approach should be replaced or even combined with plugged-in approach and how this proposed model can be enriched.

In this essay, the authors offer a context for discussions about fake news, democracy, and considerations for media literacy education. Drawing on media ecology and critical media studies, they highlight the longer history of fake news and how this concept cannot be separated from the media technologies in which cultures grow. They discuss current iterations of this phenomenon alongside the effects of social media and offer a preview of the contents of this special issue on media literacy, democracy, and the challenge of fake news.

This study explored how media literacy programs can contribute to shifting societal attitudes towards gender equality, focusing on the effectiveness of media education in shaping the views of both men and women in Lusaka. The study examined the extent to which media literacy programs empower individuals, particularly youth, to challenge discriminatory narratives and advocate for equitable practices. It also assessed the effectiveness of integrating media literacy into educational curricula and community initiatives in fostering a culture of inclusivity and respect for gender diversity. A mixed-methods approach was employed, combining qualitative and quantitative research designs to gain a comprehensive understanding of how media literacy influences gender equality practices. A combination of purposive and stratified random sampling was used to select the participants as well as institutions. The sample consisted 200 respondents; Media consumers, Media practitioners, Advocacy groups as well as Educators and students. Structured open-ended interviews, focus groups and questionnaires were used to respondents to collect data. The quantitative data were analyzed using appropriate statistical methods, such as descriptive statistics using SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) and Microsoft excel whereas the qualitative data were analyzed thematically by coding them to categorize responses into themes. The findings revealed that Media literacy plays a pivotal role in fostering gender equality practices by equipping individuals with the ability to critically analyze and interpret media content. Additionally, the study found that media literacy also supports civic engagement by encouraging individuals to use media as a platform to advocate for gender equality. Government through local leaders should launch community campaigns using various media platforms to raise awareness about gender equality practices and the role of media in shaping perceptions, ensuring active participation from local influencers, civic leaders, and advocacy groups.