Logically and NewsMobile launch ambitious pan-Indian media literacy programme to tackle COVID-19 misinformation
The multi-lingual programme, supported by Facebook, will use a ‘Train the Trainer’ model to reach citizens at most risk of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy
Logically and NewsMobile have announced they are collaborating on a series of media literacy workshops targeting COVID-19 misinformation, made possible by support from Facebook. The programme, called Covishaala, aims to educate and inform people across India on the facts about COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccinations in an effort to reduce vaccine hesitancy and limit the spread of the disease.
An innovative one of a kind program, Covishaala deploys a ‘Train the Trainer’ model, empowering influential professionals from various fields including medicine, education and journalism with the tools and information they need to address the COVID-19 misinformation impacting their communities.
The course, delivered by expert Logically and NewsMobile representatives alongside local journalists and the medical fraternity, includes guidance in various languages on how to spot misinformation, build media literacy skills and identify trustworthy sources of information. It also provides robust strategies to translate this knowledge into actionable advice, applicable and accessible to any audience in India.
Covishaala held its first successful workshop in July this year and was attended by professionals from Delhi, Gurgaon and Mumbai. It is now being rolled out across India over the next two months, and will undergo a full evaluation and impact assessment upon completion.
Lyric Jain, Founder and CEO of Logically, said: “Too often, media literacy programmes do not reach those most in need, which is why Covishaala has been designed specifically to target those most vulnerable to false news, rumours and narratives. By empowering influential leaders and experts with the information and strategies they need to help people in their communities, we can make a demonstrable and scalable impact against damaging COVID-19 misinformation. We’re grateful for the support of our partners, Facebook and NewsMobile, in making this programme possible. Media literacy needs to be a priority; COVID-19 misinformation is threatening lives and we must act now to combat it.”
Saurabh Shukla, Editor-in-Chief and Co-Founder of NewsMobile said: “We believe that Covishaala can address one of the biggest challenges of the COVID-19 infodemic - that of vaccine and COVID-19 misinformation. We believe that in collaboration with Facebook, and together with our partner Logically and our doctor mentors, we will be able to make the last mile impact with this unique series.”
Manish Chopra, Director and Head of Partnerships, Facebook India said, “This partnership is the latest step in our ongoing efforts to support fact-checkers and connect them with resources to stop the spread of Covid-19 and health misinformation. We look forward to supporting Logically and NewsMobile in our shared goal of addressing Covid-19 misinformation by training experts and community leaders to identify and reduce misinformation across the country.”
Over four lakh Indians have so far lost their lives to the coronavirus pandemic that has affected billions of people worldwide. With over three crore people having tested positive in the country, India ranks in the top three among the world’s most affected. In addition to the surging numbers is the ‘infodemic’ of COVID-19 related misinformation, creating panic and fueling vaccine hesitancy. Building resilience to COVID-19 misinformation through media literacy programmes is an essential step in reducing the spread of the disease and improving vaccine take-up.
Both Logically and NewsMobile are signatories of the International Fact-Checking Network’s Code of Principles and have front-line expertise in delivering media literacy training and counter-misinformation operations.
This initiative forms part of Facebook’s global efforts to tackle COVID-19 misinformation on and off its platform. By investing in programmes such as Covishaala, Facebook aims to improve media literacy skills among the general public and encourage take-up of the COVID-19 vaccine.