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Rabat – The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) kicked off its activities for the Global Media and Information Literacy Week 2022 on October 28.
“The world is sending a clear message: Media and Information literacy is an imperative to nurture trust, freedom, peace and solidarity,” the UNESCO’s website reads.
Media and information literacy has been cited as one of the most important factors to bringing about positive social change, especially as the online media landscape keeps evolving rapidly.
Media literacy refers to the ability to identify different types of media and understand the messages they’re sending.
“But all media shares one thing: Someone created it,” Common Sense Media, a nonprofit organization, says. “And it was created for a reason. Understanding that reason is the basis of media literacy.”
As internet penetration increases in Africa and the MENA region, media literacy is starting to emerge as one of the most important concerns for people getting information from social media.
A recent survey by international consulting agency MARCO found that half of Moroccans, for example, said they frequently consult Facebook and Whatsapp for information and news.
In that context, it becomes vital for people to be aware of different sources and be able to unpack biases as they continue getting their information online, especially during election periods where actors might have more incentives to spread their (potentially misleading) ideas.
Common Sense Media encourages critical thinking among readers, and responsible media creation among creators.
As media consumption becomes more prevalent in our world, experts are increasingly recommending that media literacy be taught starting at very young ages in primary schools.
In the Arab World, UNESCO is focusing on women’s role by organizing a workshop with Cairo University to shed light on the role of Egyptian women in promoting media literacy.
