Do we just simply receive information? Or do we just simply understand how to get information? Or do we just listen to mediums without realizing what we are hearing?
We have become dependent on technology, and we would be uninformed if we did not have access to these resources. However, we must still ensure that the information we seek is important, appropriate, and reliable. We must understand how technology works and how to use it properly, which is why being media information literate is important. Being able to comprehend and use media efficiently is referred to as media literacy.
So how can we say if a person is a media and information literate individual? A media literate person can decode, evaluate, analyze and produce through both print and digital media. So as I have said a while ago, A literate person can decode, meaning the individual has the ability to give meaning or interpret it into a message. The individual is able to comprehend the message. And also a literate person can evaluate and analyze, it means that the individual can assess an information, determining whether it is accurate. And lastly a media literate person knows how to produce. The individual just does not consume but he/she is also able to produce. The person fully understands how to create media content that is both useful and important to the target audience.
Media and information literacy or being an immediately aware individual allows you to be an informed citizen because you know how to criticize, analyze and validate an information before sharing and consuming because in today’s generation fake news is very evident and pervasive. Not all media contents on the internet are real and reliable. Those are often made solely for a personal hidden agenda. It doesn’t mean that the social media account has a wide range of followers; you will easily believe the information that the influencer shares. You must evaluate and assert whether the information given is correct or whether the particular influencer has prejudices.
When we are evaluating the information's accuracy. These words should be remembered: accuracy, reliability, timeliness, and value. Accuracy should be free from errors and mistakes, as well as accurate and not misleading. It should be verifiable and dependable in terms of reliability. While timeliness must be current and meet users in a timely manner, and lastly, value, comprehensive knowledge is valuable. And also here are some notions of fake information that you should be aware of, first is disinformation, followed by misinformation and lastly malinformation. Disinformation is the deliberate dissemination of false information, while misinformation is the unintended dissemination of false or inaccurate information. Malinformation, on the other hand, is information that is based on fact and is used to damage an individual, organization, or nation.
Media information literacy is important because it helps us to distinguish which among the sources is relevant and reliable. As viewers and recipients of media and information, it is our duty to verify the authenticity and integrity of the media's contents and information.