Page 22 - B-iikm-21

MIL and Disinfodemic: Lessons Learned and the Way Ahead

Dr. Kazi Mostak Gausul Hoq has about 20 years of experience in the fields of education, information,

communication, research, publication, development and ICT. He has been working as a Professor in the
Department of Information Science and Library Management, University of Dhaka since 30 November
2016.Worked as Associate Professor (2012-2016), Assistant Professor (2007-2012), and Lecturer (2003-2007)
and part-time Faculty member (2000-2002) in the same Department. Served as Associate Editor, Arts Faculty
Journal, and University of Dhaka from2013to 2018.Has been serving as Associate Editor, Dhaka University
Studies, University of Dhaka since November 2019 till date.

Information, aptly called the ‘lifeblood of democracy’, is instrumental for modern societies to act
effectively and boldly for the well-being of common people. Without free flow of information, it is
impossible to help the larger cross-sections of people realize their fundamental rights. However, with
unprecedented increase in the sources of information as well as tremendous advances of information and
communication technologies, we are seeing an explosion of information which is simply mind-boggling.
There was a time when we suffered from an acute paucity of information. But especially since the late
th
20 century with the emergence of the Internet and the World Wide Web, the scenario has changed
drastically. Now we are grappling with a tsunami of information which is almost impossible to cope with.
Therefore, the challenge of the 21 century is to decide how to locate, access, retrieve and use information
st
which we really need. One aspect of this challenge is combating disinfodemic, which has become
particularly important in the time of a global coronavirus pandemic. This disinfodemic is caused by the
spread of false, misleading and fake information relating to the pandemic which have permeated the whole
fabric of the society, exacerbated by the prevalence and wide popularity of social media.

Disinfodemic, explained by UNESCO as “the falsehoods fuelling the pandemic and its impacts” is
rampant these days. Wild and unfounded things are being said by people who have no idea what they are
talking about, which are reaching the far corners of the globe in the blink of an eye and believed and acted
upon by thousands of unsuspecting people, causing great harm to the lives of groups and individuals,
severely disrupting social harmony. However, we are not defenseless against this menace. We can equip

people with the skills and competencies for evaluating information accurately and acting upon only on
that information which is accurate, authentic and reliable. These skills can lead to Media and Information
Literacy, which is defined by UNESCO as the “competencies that emphasize the development of enquiry-
based skills and the ability to engage meaningfully with media and information channels in whatever

form and technologies they are using.” In this highly globalized and technology-centered world, these
skills are crucial to effectively participate in the evolving knowledge society.

Wherever we live in, whatever we do and whichever way we lead our life, we are surrounded by a whole
range of media including print, electronic and social media. If we cannot accurately decipher the messages

they are trying to convey, we will be lost in a labyrinth of information and a concoction of falsehood and
untruth. On the other hand, if we can successfully achieve MIL, we will be able to cope with this deluge
of disinformation because then we will have the ability to:
 Judge the reliability and authenticity of various media and the information they are disseminating;
 Realize the impact of these media on the society as well as how they are trying to shape and

reshape our thoughts and actions, and
 Use and evaluate media content and create our own contents.

22