In 2018, Dr. Tamilselvi Natarajan came across a video depicting a child kidnapping, which spread widely on WhatsApp in India. In reality, however, the video was actually a public service announcement — not an actual kidnapping. The incident inspired the media educator to pursue training in fact-checking. Through an ICFJ and MediaWise program, she connected with advanced tools to continue to educate students about mis- and disinformation.
As Indonesia’s urban centers develop, Zulfa Amira Zaed carries a weight of concern for her fellow Indonesians who live in remote forest regions. But helping these communities navigate the challenges of disinformation proved difficult for Amira Zaed in the past, as she did not have the means to reach remote areas nor the resources to teach them. Through ICFJ training, she was able to improve her own media literacy and share her findings with her neighbors.
For three years, Mariama Danso and her organization, Fact Check Center - The Gambia, have promoted media literacy among young adults to combat mis- and disinformation in the Banjul region of The Gambia. Through ICFJ's media literacy training of trainers, she learned new strategies to reach diverse audiences.
As a peacebuilder in Sri Lanka, Arzath Areeff has witnessed an alarming rise in hate speech and conflict in his country’s digital space. He co-founded the platform digizen in 2017 to support digital peacebuilding and promote media literacy. With support and training from ICFJ, Areeff has continued his trainings in underserved communities in his country.
Harriet Atyang is helping build a stronghold against disinformation in western Kenya. As the founder of a local radio station called Dada Radio based in Siaya, Kenya, she believes in the power of information. Through the first 19-person cohort of Disarming Disinformation’s training of trainers, she learned how to use and teach media literacy skills. In the months since, she has passed on those skills through mentorship programs for journalism students and workshops for community members.
India is one of the world's most dynamic economies, and media are an important part of its rapidly changing scene. Hundreds of new television stations are being licensed, magazines abound and newspaper circulation still posts healthy gains.
When the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) sent longtime journalist Arul Louis to boost reporting on climate change in India, he knew he faced a challenge. In the media of India, one of the developing world’s biggest and fastest growing economies, the topic of climate change has rarely bubbled to the surface.
