Support in Public Communities

Media literacy is one of the most immediate educational deficits we have. Fake news, disinformation, cyber-bullying, and online echo chambers are increasingly common and a persistent danger to Australians. Contemporary research shows that most adult Australians have low confidence in their  media literacy skills. This problem is worsened by the fact that most children receive their news from their families , meaning that any weaknesses in the media literacy of adults is passed on to their children.

 Additionally, there is very little media literacy support for vulnerable populations. Low socioeconomic groups, rural and remote communities, elderly citizens, and children are all at the greatest risk of being preyed upon by anti-democratic foreign entities, cyber-bullies, and scammers. These vulnerable populations are often unable to distinguish credible news from deliberate misinformation.

 I present workshops to help develop these crucial media literacy skills. This include examining traditional and new media forms, examining newsworthiness and media manipulation, and skills of inquiry for citizens.