Students of the Department of Media Studies attended the ‘Media Literacy Workshop’ organized by the America Corner Jaffna in Collaboration with American Corner-Chennai. The Workshop was held on 15th March 2024 (Friday) at the Regional Centre of American Corner-Jaffna.

American Corner Jaffna is part of the U.S. Embassy Colombo’s American Spaces network, with locations in Colombo, Jaffna, Kandy, Matara, and Batticaloa, providing welcoming environments where visitors can connect and learn about the United States through programs and lectures, as well as through books, movies, and magazines. These American Spaces serve as platforms of knowledge sharing and collaboration for Sri Lankans from all walks of life to come together to engage on issues of common and global interest. These spaces are dedicated to promoting educational growth, cultural exchange, and social development through access to extensive resources and communal engagement. American Spaces organizes a wide range of interactive programs both virtually and in-person.

The Media Literacy Workshop was arranged to equip students with the skills to critically analyze media messages. Topics covered will include:

– Understanding Information vs. News
– Importance of Media Literacy
– Identifying Fake News
– Analyzing Images and Videos
– Developing Critical Thinking Skills
– Recognizing Biases
– Basic Fact-Checking Techniques

The workshop is relevant to the Course Units ‘Media. Democracy, Law and Ethics (CMCH 21033)’ and ‘Media Literacy (CMEH 21013)’ of the Curriculum of the B.A. (Honours) in Media Studies and the Students of Level II Semester I benefitted from the workshop.