Technological disruptions, polarization in public discourse, and declining public trust in mainstream news media organizations are some of the common trends around the world. Meanwhile, the internet and social media platforms have become fertile grounds for the creation and spread of hate speech, fake news, misinformation, disinformation, conspiracy theories, and misleading narratives. The phenomena pose a threat to public trust, social cohesion, basic human sense, and democracy. In recent years, Bangladesh has experienced the deadly impact of these falsehoods resulting in the loss of lives, damage of properties and heritages, destruction of communal harmony, and reduced trust in the social world.
The Department of Media Studies and Journalism (MSJ) at the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB) exists not only to educate its students. It also shed light on complex issues for the public at large. The department believes that although it focuses on its students, it should reach out to various audiences. This is the reason why we need to conduct outreach education activities. It also believes that tackling the epidemic of falsehoods cannot be done through technology alone, rather it requires a very human solution, and literacy interventions can help people to protect them against any harmful effects of false and misleading information.
The areas of Media Information Literacy (MIL) fall within the domain of the MSJ Department. MIL is in line with our Program Learning Outcome (PLO) 5, i.e., possess creative analytical and critical thinking abilities.
In line with the mandate of the MSJ department and the values of ULAB, the Axis MIL aims at equipping the country’s new generation with the necessary life skills in such a way so that they can make an informed decision about their life through source triangulation, separating fact from opinion, citation chaining, conducting research, verification, and validation of the information they consume.
As an outreach wing of the MSJ department, the Axis MIL is devoted to promoting Media Information Literacy and creating a bridge between the department and the broader community by helping young people to become aware of and skilled in interacting responsibly with media content.