Kolkata students get trained in media literacy, critical thinking to tackle fake news

During a two-month-long programme at Nabadisha Community Centre, about 30 children are getting trained in media literacy so that they can tackle misinformation. The community centre is being operated by Vikramshila Education Resource Society while the media literacy programme for children was conducted by Alt News, a well-known fact-checking website.

Sumit Kumar Chowdhury, a class IX student received a WhatsApp message which said that if there is a green strip in a ₹500 currency note, then the note is fake. 

The 14-year-old along with his friend Krishna Shaw decided to fact-check it from the website of the Reserve Bank of India and found the information to be fake.

Similarly, another group of children of the same age group tried fact-checking a claim that after the success of the COVID-19 vaccination in India, mobile service providers are rolling out three months free recharge to the people. 

During a two-month-long programme at Nabadisha Community Centre, next to Taratala Police Station in Kolkata, about 30 children, between the ages of 12 and 14 years are getting trained in media literacy so that they can tackle misinformation. The community centre is being operated by Vikramshila Education Resource Society while the media literacy programme for children was conducted by Alt News, a well-known fact-checking website.

“Children were introduced to the concept of misinformation and its components, taught skills to identify information received from social media as right or wrong based on available cues, and further encouraged to think about sources of misinformation within the media business context and how this impacts the information digital media users receive,” a media release by AltED, an initiative incubated by Alt News said.

Along with Nabadisha Centre, a pre-pilot was also held at Batanagar Boys High School in February 2023 where about 30 children of Class IX participated. Other than having these pre-pilots, AltED has held focus group discussions with children between 12 to 14 years in about five schools which include both private schools as well State-run schools in Kolkata and adjoining districts.

“The pre-pilot programme is an activity-based curriculum designed and taught by practitioners at AltED to develop knowledge, mindset, and skills in media literacy amongst youngsters by harnessing critical thinking and empathy,” Pratik Sinha, co- founder of Alt News told The Hindu.