Media literacy is the first and most important step to address communication rights challenges like misinformation, polarization, and misuse of AI. Yet media education must also be tailored to the specific context. For UNESCO Global Media and Information Literacy Week, WACC Asia President Peter Singh explores questions in his region for media literacy for all.

Media literacy – the ability to critically access, analyze, evaluate, and produce media content – has become essential in the context of Asia, the largest and most diverse continent on earth, home to over 60 percent of the world’s population, representing hundreds of languages, religions, and political systems.

Rapid technological advancement and expanding digital connectivity have transformed how Asians communicate, learn, and participate in society. Digital media now shapes daily life and social consciousness.

However, this digital revolution also brings challenges such as misinformation, cyberbullying, political manipulation, and cultural homogenization. It is a challenge before WACC Asia to explore the possibilities for empowering citizens and sustaining democratic, ethical, and informed societies across Asia.

Commonalities in Asia’s diverse media landscape

Asia’s media environment is as varied as its geography. While some countries have advanced digital infrastructures and high internet literacy rates, a few continue to struggle with limited access and censorship. India has over 100,000 registered publications, 800 television channels, and hundreds of digital news outlets.

Over 750 million Indians use the internet, many of them accessing information primarily through smartphones. Social media platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, and WhatsApp have become powerful tools for communication, education, and activism.

Yet, such platforms are also used to spread fake news, hate speech, and extremist ideologies fuelling ethnic violence, political misinformation campaigns, and violence against minority communities. Media literacy, therefore, is urgent across Asia to foster both digital natives and digital immigrants who can navigate the digital age responsibly and ethically.

Challenges of media literacy in Asia

Asia’s educational and technological inequalities pose a major obstacle to media literacy. While urban populations enjoy fast internet and access to higher education, many rural communities lack even basic connectivity. There are disparities in schooling quality, gender inequality, and limited teacher training in media education.

According to UNESCO, around 350 million Asians still remain offline. How do we make digital literacy programs that focus on the digital divide along with critical thinking skills that are needed to evaluate media content?

In a few countries internet usage is heavily monitored and censored, limiting citizens’ access to diverse viewpoints. Journalists and digital activists face harassment or legal consequences for questioning the policies. In such contexts, are there possibilities for promoting critical media literacy in addition to teaching people to question media content critically?

The rise of fake news and disinformation and malinformation networks has emerged as a serious threat across Asia. During elections, natural disasters, or pandemics, false information spreads rapidly through social media, sometimes leading to violence or panic. What alternatives can WACC Asia suggest beyond fact-checking culture and media ethics education?

Asia’s cultural richness is both a strength and a challenge. Creating media literacy materials that are linguistically and culturally relevant is a major challenge. Western models of media education often fail to resonate with Asian contexts. How do we reclaim our traditional media where oral storytelling, communal values, and respect for authority influence how people interpret media messages?