Role of media and information literacy education in fostering an information literate Society
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Date
2022-10
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Kenyatta University School of Education
Abstract
This article promoted a media and information literate society by providing a more comprehensive perspective on the idea of media and information literacy (MIL). In contemporary information society, being media and information literate entails skills that enable individuals to evaluate facts and information through traditional and digital media critically. Individuals nowadays have difficulty navigating the many possibilities and potential dangers of the modern digital world. They do not actively participate in the selection process and passively consume the entertainment options available. As the COVID-19 pandemic spread globally in early 2020, the entire human population was
compelled to use the Internet and other mass media for educational purposes and as their primary means of obtaining information. However, miscreants also capitalized on this fact to spread misinformation about the prevalence of the new virus, possible treatments, fraudulent activities and more. One of the roles of media and information literacy is to educate people on how to identify and ignore misleading or false information. Today, improving citizens' MIL in developing nations is challenging in the media development sphere. MIL explores the universal desire to share ideas and information with others in a world where access to such resources is not evenly distributed. A critical understanding of how the media and information systems work and the information and material they produce is crucial for educating and empowering citizens. Media and information literacy go hand in hand with lifelong learning, critical thinking, and being able to understand educational ideas.
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Keywords
COVID-19, COVID-19 Pandemic, Digital World, Information Literacy, Information Society, Media