The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) has entered a partnership with a United States media education organisation to help combat the worldwide spread of spin, misinformation and fake news.
The partnership with the US National Association for Media Literacy Education (NAMLE) forms part of the second annual Media Literacy Week.
Head of Education at the ABC, Annabel Astbury said the partnership would equip students and teachers with the skills to become critical thinkers, effective communicators and active citizens in an era of mass media, popular culture and digital technologies.
“The 2019 Media Literacy Week, from 21 to 25 October, will feature special events across Australia and the US to help navigate the news landscape,” Ms Astbury said.
These included a News Champions Youth Forum at the Museum of Australian Democracy where Australian students would lead a discussion on how news could support and engage young people.
In addition, education experts at Washington’s Newseum are to hold a free virtual webinar available to Australian teachers on sorting truth from fiction, and ABC Education and the Australian Council for Educational Leadership are to host an event for teachers on the challenges of reporting in an era of false information.
Ms Astbury said the ABC was delighted to partner with the NAMLE in educating people about the perils and pitfalls of the modern media landscape.
“All Australian students should have access to high quality, trustworthy local content that equips them with the skills to think critically about the media they consume and create every day,” Ms Astbury said.
