UNESCO launches social media campaign to address Covid-19 disinformation in South East Europe and Turkey
To counter the “infodemic” that quickly spread online amid the Covid-19 outbreak, UNESCO launches a MIL social media campaign in the context of the EU-funded project Building Trust in Media in South East Europe and Turkey – Phase 2.
At a time when disinformation and misinformation are spreading as fast as the virus on social media, Media and Information Literacy (MIL) skills are essential for anyone to critically analyse the information available online. In this context and to rapidly provide users with practical MIL skills that can easily be integrated into online habits, UNESCO has launched a social media campaign under the #TrustinMediaSEE and #MilClicksSEE hashtags.
The campaign is based on a series of infographics available in all local languages of the South East Europe region, as well as in Turkish, in open access and free to be used, downloaded and shared:
Download all the graphics (ZIP File): in Albanian – North-Macedonian – BHS – Turkish.
These online resources cover a wide variety of issues and provide practical tips and best practices on MIL parenting or on to how to distinguish facts and opinions and thereby navigate the overwhelming amount of information shared about the virus. The messages also help fight discrimination and build more tolerant societies, sharing verified information.
Moreover, the UNESCO-led MIL Alliance (GAPMIL) has come together to provide webinars that will be available on the UNESCO MIL Clicks Facebook page on various topics, notably “MIL parenting” on 7 May, “youth engagement to address covid-19 disinformation” on 14 May. Find more information here.
The project Building Trust in Media in South East Europe and Turkey – Phase 2 aims to strengthen freedom of expression while empowering citizens to think critically in a region that is considered vulnerable to the spread of disinformation. Together with key partners and with funding from the European Union, the project addresses three key objectives, one of which is to increase critical thinking among youth thanks to Media and Information Literacy in formal and non-formal education. The current campaign supports this objective by enhancing MIL skills and subsequently increasing the public’s demand and support in the region for quality media content.