Rethinking Media Literacy 2025

expanded access to essential media literacy training, equipping a global network of content creators and journalists with the tools to combat misinformation.45 Beyond individual skill-building, the initiative has fostered collaboration between journalists and digital influencers, encouraging cross-industry learning on best practices for credibility and audience engagement. The roundtable discussions and sessions at the International Symposium on Online Journalism (ISOJ) created a space for critical reflection on the evolving role of influencers in news distribution, leading to greater awareness of ethical storytelling and media accountability. Content Creators and Journalists: Redefining News and Credibility in the Digital Age further solidifies these insights, providing an enduring resource for media professionals worldwide. This initiative ensures that journalists and digital creators are equipped to navigate the challenges of the digital age, especially as content creators increasingly become a primary source of news and information. By fostering ethical storytelling, fact-checking and media literacy, the programme empowers participants to produce credible content in an era where audiences rely more on digital influencers for news consumption. The Think Critically, Click Wisely! initiative is part of UNESCO’s broader effort to promote MIL. It emphasizes the importance of access to reliable and fact-based information for making informed decisions and participating in society. This initiative recognizes that while new technologies offer opportunities for education, debate and self-expression, they also present challenges such as mis-and disinformation, hate speech and privacy infringements. The initiative is designed to leverage social relationships in countering disinformation at the consumption and post-consumption stages of the disinformation life cycle. Recognizing that false information often spreads through personal networks – family, friends, colleagues and online communities – this intervention emphasizes peer-based learning and trust-driven correction mechanisms. By fostering interpersonal discussions on misinformation, equipping individuals with effective corrective techniques and promoting responsible digital engagement, it aims to create a socially reinforced culture of media literacy. Implemented across various social settings – including schools, workplaces and community organizations – the intervention is grounded in research on digital literacy’s role in shaping social norms. Studies indicate that misinformation is more likely to be believed and shared when reinforced by personal connections. The initiative therefore enhances individuals’ ability to evaluate information collaboratively and intervene against disinformation within their networks. Socio-ecological level This intervention operates at the interpersonal level, recognizing that individuals rarely consume or engage with digital content in isolation. Social relationships play a pivotal role in shaping how information is processed, shared and reinforced. By equipping individuals with the skills to critically engage with misinformation in everyday conversations, the initiative helps disrupt the spread of false narratives within families, peer groups and professional networks. Participants trained in media literacy often serve as informal educators within their social circles, guiding friends and family members in identifying misleading content. Research has shown that misinformation correction is most effective when it comes from a trusted source rather than an external authority. This intervention encourages conversational corrective techniques, teaching individuals how to challenge false information in ways that minimize defensiveness and increase receptivity. Additionally, the initiative fosters intergenerational learning, as younger digital natives frequently assist older relatives in navigating online misinformation. This was evident in evaluations where participants reported helping family members identify deceptive content related to health, elections and financial scams. Beyond individual actions, community-driven fact-checking initiatives – such as neighbourhood digital literacy groups and workplace media awareness programmes – further reinforce social accountability in information consumption. Disinformation life cycle level The initiative strategically intervenes at the consumption and post-consumption stages of the disinformation life cycle, equipping individuals with the necessary skills to critically engage with misleading content and take corrective action within their social networks. By addressing both how people initially encounter and interpret false information and how they respond after exposure, the initiative fosters a proactive and socially embedded approach to combating disinformation.6.2 Peer-driven media literacy Rethinking Media Literacy: A New Ecosystem Model for Information Integrity 28