Gandhi Media Literacy Programme
Gandhi Media Literacy Programme for children was initiated by Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti, the national memorial of Mahatma Gandhi in 2003 as part of the centenary year of Indian Opinion. It was the journal started by Mahatma Gandhi in South Africa in 1903.
The motto of the programme is what Mahatma Gandhi had said in his Autobiography, “Journalism is for Service”.
The Gandhi Media Literacy Programme is aimed to help Parents, Teachers, and Students to:
• Become more discriminating in the use of mass media.
• Distinguish between reality and fantasy and separate fact from fiction.
• Think critically about media messages.
• Consider whether media values are their values. Also promotes Gandhian values.
• Pursue character and value education.
• Gandhi Media Literacy Programme with strong emphasis on Mahatma Gandhi’s principle of non-violence can help alert students, parents, and teachers to the risks of a heavy diet of violence viewing/reading.
• Gandhi Media Literacy Programme will help students understand the true harm that violence causes.
• Gandhi Media Literacy Programme in conjunction with conflict resolution and peer mediation programs helps young people find peaceful means of resolving conflicts.
• It should help recognize social and cultural values that are being communicated in media messages.
Key highlights of Gandhi Media Literacy Programme:
ACCESS
Students gain access to the media – radio, newspaper, wallpapers, internet, television, etc. – to spread their own message. This in turn leads to further awareness of the media and how it works, which ensures a deeper analysis.
Producing their own media products helps in sustainability of creativity amongst students and giving them the insights of how to create appropriate messages.
AWARENESS
Students develop understanding of the various media forms like newspaper, radio, television, etc. Besides through The Yamuna, the Samiti’s children’s newspaper, students develop knowledge on a variety of social issues.
ANALYSIS
Students discuss the forms and contents of the media messages. They develop critical thinking skills by strengthening observation and interpretation. Ability to think critically prepares children to face the real world which is highly complex. Also while producing The Yamuna or developing radio capsules, students are required to analyze the social theme they are working on. Awareness on issues and the ability to analyze them are important channels to empower individuals.
ACTIVISM
More than anyone else, Mahatma Gandhi recognized that power of communications. He realized good communications was an effective tool to shape opinion and mobilize popular support. Right from South Africa to the time he came back to lead the freedom struggle, Gandhi used effective communication techniques to reach out to the masses and he ensured that lakhs of Indians rallied around him.
As part of the Gandhi Media Literacy programme, students develop their own opinions about the negative and positive effects of the media.
Communication training is an integral part of the programme. As part of this students are encouraged to take up issues of social concern using various media tools. These include wallpapers and radio docu-dramas. Use of traditional media is also promoted.
ADVOCACY
Mahatma Gandhi as a publicist was methodical in seeking and taking help from the press to multiply and spread his messages. From the very outset he made it a rule that copies of all pamphlets and letters should be made available to each and every newspaper, irrespective of their editorial stand. For instance in the second edition of his ‘Green Pamphlet’, which was first published on August 14, 1896, he wrote, “Publicity is perhaps the chief remedy of the grievances and the pamphlet is one of the means to that end.”
The Gandhi Media Literacy programme is aimed at helping students learn how to work with media and use their own media to develop and publicize messages on various social issues that are constructive and all too often ignored by our society. It aims to strengthen capacities, rights and responsibilities of individuals’ vis-à-vis the media.
Gandhi Media Literacy Clubs in Schools
Gandhi Media Literacy Programme is aimed at developing critical understanding of the media, ability to analyze media messages and empower students to produce media products themselves. Through the process of empowerment to produce media products, like wallpapers, newspapers, radio programmes or short films/videos, students can develop better communication skills and develop a knowledge base on different social issues. In conjunction with Gandhian values and Gandhian approach to journalism, students are encouraged to critically understand the contemporary channels of communications. In short the programme should enable students to become more active users of the media.
To take forward the aims and objectives of Gandhi Media Literacy Programme, schools can be encouraged to initiate Gandhi Media Literacy Clubs.
Suggested Activities
While groups/schools can evolve localized programmes, here are some suggested programmes:
A) Sharing Ideas and creative exploration of the Media:
The overarching goal as stated above is to develop critical understanding of the media and try to help students be informed consumers of the media. There can be group discussions/talks etc on various forms of media- print, electronic and digital. Students can be encouraged to make posters or make report on their understanding of various media forms.
It can for instance relate to the different issues taken up by the print media.
It can involve discussions on various genres of television programmes like reality shows, serials, music programmes, news, documentaries etc.
It can involve discussions on websites and the blogosphere etc.
B) Analysis of media coverage and media trends (Content Analysis):
Media coverage of various events including disasters, conflicts, environment and biodiversity, political issues, crime etc can be analyzed regularly by students. For instance, a conflict can be analyzed by a group of students as to how various newspapers and different television channels cover them. The findings can be displayed in the notice board/ or discussed in assembly. It will educate/sensitize other students too.
C) Children as advocates
Article 13 of the UN Convention on Rights of the Child asserts children’s rights to freedom of expression; Article 17 proclaims their rights of access to a range of media and sources of information. Article 31 asserts children’s rights to freedom of expression. In this context, children should be encouraged to voice their opinions on media coverage of different issues. For instance, children of Gandhi Media Literacy Clubs of different schools can come together and voice their concern on negative media coverage of a particular issue and cases of sensationalization. Also on the other hand, the children can also come together to voice their appreciation of a case of positive media coverage. We are not there for media bashing, but we should try to work for ethical media coverage.
The blogosphere is becoming a popular medium. Respective Media Literacy Clubs can develop their own blog and occasionally put together observations and opinions as discussed above. Even events covered by the Media Literacy Clubs can be posted in the blogs. This can also be an instrument for demystification of the digital world for the students. Besides a page in The Yamuna, Gandhi Smriti’s Children’s Newspaper can be exclusively kept for the activities of the Clubs.
Each Gandhi Media Literacy Clubs in schools can develop monthly wallpaper on not only about their own activities, airing views on coverage of different issues, and also of other activities in their schools.
D) Mahatma Gandhi as a journalist
Mahatma Gandhi was a powerful communicator and his prescriptions on journalism can set effective guidelines for media ethics. Discussions can revolve around Gandhian views on Journalism, Mahatma Gandhi as a publicist and the contemporary media.
E) Use of Media for advocacy
The Gandhi Media Literacy Clubs can involve children to take up issues of social concern. This can be done either through their own media or writing letters to newspapers. For instance to highlight the issue of cutting of trees in their area, children can develop posters, wallpapers, write slogans etc. They can also write to their local newspapers and television channels highlighting their concern.