“I sometimes encountered disinformation (fake news) and it was frustrating. With information overload about Covid-19, I somehow didn’t even want to be on Facebook”, Ms. Out Sreyneth, an International Relations student, expressed her views as she joined the Media and Information Literacy (MIL) Talk at the Pannasastra University of Cambodia (PUC) in Siem Reap on February 2, 2021.
With the participation of 29 students, dominated by 25 females, the MIL talk was remarkably designed based on the participatory approach, consisting of content explanation, topic game, online quiz, and discussion. Within the three hours of training, students not only experienced the new media concepts and creative activities brought by MIL trainers but also actively asked many practical questions linking to their everyday media consumptions. They engaged themselves in verification tips on social media, they learned the practical examples from their newsfeeds, and they enthusiastically shared the experiences with others regarding what they have encountered such as suspicious posts, hate speech, online harassment, etc.
After joining the MIL Talk, Sreyneth added “I could understand the flow of information and identify the trustworthy sources and official pages, which are reliable. I also share the tips and knowledge with my friends and family”.
“Back then, I used to share many posts on social media without checking or verifying the information,” said Vorn Vannada, a freshman in TESOL at PUC, “but now, I am more careful on the content I see on social media.”
Almost all of the participating students, at the end of the event, suggested having this MIL Talk again so that they can strengthen their media knowledge and skills in this never-ending updated society.
The MIL Talk was organized by the Cambodian Center for Independent Media (CCIM) in collaboration with the Pannasastra University of Cambodia (PUC) in Siem Reap and supported by DanChurchAid (DCA).
CCIM believes that in the 21st century, remarkable changes keep happening, and one among all is digital advancement. Within Cambodian society, smartphones, internet cable, and social media posters are noticeably seen everywhere particularly in the city because these are what people need to live their daily life in the relentless modernization. By interacting with these digital tools, significantly during the pandemic, people inevitably engage in media and consume a lot of information every single day, and they will eventually find it overloaded and confused if they are not into Media and Information Literacy (MIL).
To believe in a piece of certain information, media users necessarily need to verify the information by using some verification tools or tips because information plays a crucial role in stimulating the thoughts of users and getting them well-informed on the specific situations and events. (Ms. Huot Salinit, MIL Project Officer)
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