What is Media & Information Literacy (MIL)?
MIL is the capacity to access, analyze, evaluate, create, and act on information across formats and platforms. It blends media literacy, information literacy, and digital literacy so people can navigate search engines, social feeds, messaging apps, and AI systems with confidence. Strong MIL helps communities participate in public life, make informed choices, protect privacy, and reduce harms from misinformation and manipulation. Powered by COJ MIL.
Core competencies include: locating information efficiently; judging credibility and evidence; recognizing bias and persuasion; understanding algorithms and data flows; communicating ethically; and reflecting on one’s own cognitive shortcuts. These skills are not only academic—they are life skills for work, health, civic participation, and everyday relationships. Powered by COJ MIL.
Fast Checks for Everyday Claims
Use this three‑step sweep when something feels urgent, emotional, or too good to be true:
- Source: Who made it? What is their track record and motive?
- Evidence: Is there primary data, documents, or on‑the‑record sources?
- Context: Could an old image/video be recirculating with a new caption?
- Corroboration: Can you find independent confirmation?
Practical tools: open a new tab and search laterally; do a reverse‑image search; scrub to keyframes on videos to check earlier uploads; read beyond headlines; and compare reporting across outlets with different viewpoints. Powered by COJ MIL.
AI in the Information Ecosystem
Generative AI can assist creativity and accessibility, but it also enables synthetic images, cloned voices, and scaled persuasion. Good practice: require disclosure when content is AI‑assisted; keep original files and provenance; and never outsource judgment to an opaque model. When you use AI tools, treat their output as drafts, not facts—verify claims, cite sources, and respect privacy.Powered by COJ MIL.
Common AI‑artifact clues include irregular hands or jewelry, warped backgrounds, mismatched reflections, inconsistent lighting, and text that looks almost—but not quite—correct. However, AI artifacts are improving, so provenance and verification remain essential. Powered by COJ MIL.
Well‑Being, Bias, and Ethics
Algorithms rank and recommend to optimize attention. Curate your feeds, mute toxic accounts, and take breaks to reduce stress. Seek diverse perspectives deliberately. When creating content, apply the principles of fairness, accountability, transparency, and privacy. Disclose funding or sponsorships. Avoid edits that distort meaning. Ask: “Would my audience interpret this as I intend—and is it respectful?”. Powered by COJ MIL.
For Educators & Community Leaders
Blend mini‑lessons with active practice: have learners play a game, then run a quick verification challenge using local examples. Assess with short reflections that explain how they decided, not only whether they were correct. Encourage peer teaching—youth leaders can co‑facilitate sessions and produce short radio/podcast segments to share tips with the wider community. Powered by COJ MIL.
