A FEW aspects have become unavoidable with the concept of the globe as a village and a continuous flow of information through media platforms. These include imparting knowledge, developing attitudes, and grooming abilities required to recognise the authenticity of information. One should be able to access, organise, analyse and use the information ethically.
To meet the challenges concerning the propagation of truthful and well-timed information, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has been promoting Media and Information Literacy (MIL) since 2012, making it an integrated part of the larger campaign aimed at ensuring the right to be informed.
In Pakistan, especially with the increasing use of digital media, due consideration to emphasise and elaborate the connotation of MIL is becoming exceedingly desirable not only for the professionals in the field, but also for the masses so that they may be able to recognise that MIL is essential for the wellbeing and progress of the community.
The integration of MIL in public policies, such as curricula and cultural aspects,
should be encouraged through various activities. Strong support to networks and organisations working on MIL issues and investment in capacity-building is unavoidable in the present era where separating disinformation from facts and figures is not just a privilege, but a fundamental right.
Dr Intikhab Ulfat
Karachi
Published in Dawn, November 15th, 2022
