IS41550

New and emerging technologies, along with an ever developing media industry, have transformed the ways in which citizens engage with media. The permeation of media into varying aspects of our lives has now exposed us to a number of vulnerabilities, among which include fraud, misinformation, disinformation along with incubating and enabling conspiracy theories. Media literacy is a crucial intervention and skill that not only seeks to challenge these issues, but is also crucial in enabling citizens to understand and critically evaluate the communication and media surrounding them.

This module aims to train media literate citizens, through the development of a combined set of competencies relating to knowledge and skills that are necessary for life and work in today’s world in a variety of contexts including libraries and the broader media industry. In studying digital media literacy, students will develop their digital and media literacy skills, improving their capacity to identify misinformation and challenge views. This module educates individuals to make informed decisions about the information they encounter in the digital environment, including misinformation, foreign election interferences, profiling, and targeted content. Crucially, the module will empower students to devise a consciousness-raising campaign and training event around a media literacy issue of their choice, empowering them to become leaders on the subject in their chosen field.