SUPPORT FOR WOMEN JOURNALISTS IN COUNTERING MISINFORMATION & DISINFORMATION IN THE INDO-PACIFIC REGION.

Background:

With growing digitization, availability and circulation of news has become very easy. Most of the time, information sharing happens without verifying the source, which is a major concern. In this context, measures like understanding the current trends in print, electronic and digital media, learning ways to counter fake messages, reinforcing positive counter-narratives; promoting media literacy have become crucial. Also putting emphasis on investigative journalism across borders in this era of digital media is imperative.

We all know the serious threat that mis/disinformation poses to democracies and the public. Therefore, it is important to address this issue in a holistic manner involving all key stakeholders including journalists. This project focuses on addressing regional security issues in the Indo-Pacific countries through the creation of a strong network of informed women media professionals and enabling them to counter challenges pertaining to information asymmetry. Additionally, this will also look at measures to fight against other associated threats like online trolling, workplace harassment, deep fakes and similar atrocities committed especially against the female journalists.

The Current Initiative

This project, supported by the US Consulate, Kolkata aims at achieving the following:

Identify, connect and create a group of 40-50 informed women journalists to counter mis/disinformation in the Indo-Pacific region.
Provide a platform for the women journalist to discuss and develop concrete strategies to counter mis/disinformation, especially among their communities.
Organize webinars with women journalists, youth leaders, community members, students of journalism, and civil society organisations in South and South East Asia.

About Project

Project Brief

Project Goal-

The ultimate goal of the project would be to create a group of informed women journalists and citizens who would counter spreading mis/disinformation and fake news that could jeopardize peace and stability in the Indo- Pacific region. One of the ways to combat the spreading of mis/disinformation is by creating a cross-border collaboration of women journalists between the US, South, and Southeast Asia and equipping them with tools pertaining to fact checking. In addition, since cross-border collaborative stories are less nationalized, thus they are expected to produce stories in a more natural way with a regional focus. The collaboration can provide them a platform through which they can develop and share cross-border stories pertaining to issues related to (but not limited to) migration, trafficking, and Chinese influence in the region. In addition, this collaboration would also help women journalists to raise their voices against that to jeopardize their safety and equity at the workplace.

Project Audience-

Female Journalists, age 25-45, from India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nepal, Singapore, Sri Lanka, and Thailand with college or university degrees. The project would also invite representatives from media in the US as resource persons to share their experiences and subject knowledge.

Project Objective-

The overall objective of the proposed intervention would be to bring together 40-50 key women journalists for a two-day workshop at the Kolkata American Centre to address how disinformation and misinformation are posing a threat to women journalists and the overall stability of the Indo-Pacific security across borders.

In this regard, the two key expectations from the proposed intervention would be as follows-

Objective A- Forty fifty participants will develop concrete strategies to counter disinformation and misinformation in the Indo-Pacific region within 6 to 8 months of the workshop, as evidenced by collaborative stories/articles published; and

Objective B– Journalists will collaborate across borders on reporting issues that are important to their communities and to the U.S. government. The journalists to develop at least 5 digital stories countering disinformation and misinformation that will be shared on Consulate’s social media platforms.

In addition to the objectives, the project would also aim at creating a cadre of media professionals, youth leaders, and community leaders who will take forward the initiative of combatting disinformation to maintain peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.

Project Deliverables-

Connect and create a group of 40-50 informed women journalists over a two-day workshop;

Provide a platform for the women journalists to discuss and develop concrete strategies to counter mis/disinformation, especially among their communities;
The consortium CUTS+EWC+SWAM will monitor and facilitate the generation of the strategy and stories in close coordination with the Consulate press team, which will report on stories/ products that the cross-border groups create.

In addition to the above deliverables, CUTS+EWC+SWAM would organize four webinars to reach out to other relevant stakeholders in South and South East Asia to facilitate further dissemination of the key learning’s and strategies to combat mis/disinformation that would evolve from the Kolkata workshop. Participants from the Kolkata workshop would be the key resource person in these webinars.

Project Activity-

Consultation with the U.S. Consulate General, Public Affairs Section in Kolkata
Mapping of workshop participants and mentors/trainers
Finalization of workshop components
Organizing a series of webinars with women journalists and other relevant stakeholders prior to the main workshop
Workshop In Kolkata
Digital stories countering disinformation and misinformation
Developing a User Guide on Fact-Checking and how to combat the same through the cross-border collaboration of journalists
Project Summary report.

The topics of the series of webinars will be – a) Information Literacy, b) Online trolling & Workplace Harassment, c) Debunking Print and Visual Disinformation/ Misinformation and d) Innovative Storytelling using Augmented Reality & Virtual Reality.

CUTS International

Established in 1983, Consumer Unity & Trust Society (CUTS International) is a non-profit non-governmental organization, engaged in promoting consumer sovereignty in the framework of social justice, economic equality and environmental balance, within and across borders. It is a leading Southern voice working on three verticals: Rules-based trade; Effective regulation; and Good governance. More information is available here: http://www.cuts-international.org/pdf/Programme_Brochure.pdf

CUTS operate out of 14 Centers spread across India, Africa, South East Asia, Europe and USA. More information is available here: http://www.cuts-international.org.

CUTS Calcutta Resource Center (CUTS CRC), more details available at (https://www.cuts-crc.org/).

Expected Outcomes

Enhanced Level of Media Literacy amongst the Participants.
A well trained journalist fraternity to counter misinformation, disinformation, fake news by appropriate use of analytical tools and techniques
A collective voice against workplace harassment and digital trolls targeting women journalists
A cross-border network of women journalists working towards presenting authentic information before the audience and security of the Indo-Pacific region.

Research Outputs/Event

Innovative Story Telling using Augmented Reality & Virtual Reality By: Van Dam Brooke, Director of Partnerships and Education, SeeBoundless & Steve Johnson, Founder, SeeBoundless.
April 28, 2022
Debunking Print and Visual Disinformation / Misinformation: Concept of Responsible Journalism for the Project on Countering Disinformation
March 24, 2022
Workshop on Online Trolling and Workplace Harassment
February 24, 2022
Online Workshop on Information Literacy
February 11, 2022

Key Resource Group*

Coming soon…

Media

Glimpses

Coming soon…

Contact Us

CONSUMER UNITY & TRUST SOCIETY (CUTS)
D–217, Bhaskar Marg, Bani Park, Jaipur 302016, Rajasthan, India
Ph: +91 141-2282821/22/23
Fax: +91 141 2282485
Email: cuts@cuts.org

For any immediate assistance related to this project, please contact Mr. Arnab Ganguly: +91 9874410391, Mrs. Sucharita Banerjee: +919051745664, Shaswata Mukherjee: +9330679490/8017705582