MEDIA & INFORMATION LITERACY — SOCIAL NETWORKS, INFORMATION LITERACY & DISORDER

Information Literacy: Foundational Overview

• Concept definition: knowing when, why, where, how to locate, evaluate, use, organize, manage, and ethically communicate information.
• Focus context in slides: “social networks” and the digital environment.
• Learning competencies (MIL-L03):
  • Defines information needs; locates and accesses data.
  • Assesses, organizes, communicates information.
  • Demonstrates ethical use of information.

Skills Required for an Information-Literate Individual

• Recognize a need for information.
• Be aware of the resources available (physical, digital, human, institutional).
• Devise strategies on how to find information efficiently.
• Evaluate credibility, relevance, bias, accuracy.
• Exploit / work with the results (organize, summarize, synthesize, store).
• Understand ethics & responsibility of use (copyright, privacy, security, legal limits).
• Communicate / share findings clearly to intended audiences.
• Manage information (save, archive, cite, re-find).

Access in Information (Recognizing & Scoping the Need)

• Typical triggers: class assignment, health question, financial comparison, civic inquiry.
• Steps:
  • Clarify purpose and depth (background vs deep dive).
  • Estimate quantity and quality required.
  • Select suitable formats (text, video, data sets, expert interview, etc.).

Evaluation Criteria for Sources

• Prior knowledge cues: author reputation, publisher, series.
• Relevance to task/problem.
• Style appropriateness for user (scholarly, popular, technical, youth-friendly).
• Presence of apparatus: index, notes, bibliography, illustrations, multimedia.
• Authenticity & origin: ownership, institutional backing.
• Scope & coverage.
• Bias/point of view & error rate.
• Overall purpose (inform, persuade, entertain, sell).

Five Components of Information Literacy

1. $\textbf{Identify}$ – Define the nature & extent of needed info.
2. $\textbf{Find}$ – Retrieve information effectively & efficiently.
3. $\textbf{Evaluate}$ – Critically assess both info and sources.
4. $\textbf{Apply}$ – Use information purposefully to create new understanding / products.
5. $\textbf{Acknowledge}$ – Cite sources & observe ethical, legal, socio-economic norms.

1. IDENTIFY

Academic examples:

• Craft thesis statements, timelines, source differentiation (primary/secondary/tertiary).
  Real-world examples:
• House-buying search plan, distinguishing court decisions vs news article, seeking latest medical guidelines.

2. FIND

Academic:

• Library article search, Boolean operators, call-number navigation, keyword refinement.
  Real-world:
• Locate botanist-written site, public archives, genealogical records, government crime stats.

3. EVALUATE

Academic:

• Summarize main ideas, compare viewpoints, analyze argument structures.
  Real-world:
• Fact-check political ads, scrutinize Wikipedia accuracy, verify webpage currency.

4. APPLY

Academic:

• Paraphrase expert essays, integrate quotations, source images for presentations.
  Real-world:
• Market surveys from literature gaps, cite experts in debate, present patent findings to investors.

5. ACKNOWLEDGE

Academic:

• In-text citations, bibliographies, plagiarism awareness, Fair Use management.
  Real-world:
• Permission for reposting, attribution for images, comprehend free-speech limits, legal downloads.

Information Literacy Cycle – “FRAME”

• $\text{Find} \rightarrow \text{Retrieve} \rightarrow \text{Analyze} \rightarrow \text{Manipulate} \rightarrow \text{Acknowledge (credit)}$
• Iterative process; each stage informs the next.

Information Disorder: Pollution of the Info Environment

• Umbrella term for polluted content – fake, out-of-context, weaponized.
• Harm manifests socially, politically, psychologically.

Three Major Categories & Intent to Harm

1. $\textbf{Misinformation}$ (false, unintentional, no intent to harm).
2. $\textbf{Disinformation}$ (false, intentional deception/harm/manipulation).
3. $\textbf{Mal-information}$ (genuine info, weaponized to harm via context, timing, exposure).

Visual continuum (left = factual, right = harmful):
$\text{FACT} \longrightarrow \text{MISINFO} \longrightarrow \text{DISINFO} \longrightarrow \text{MALINFO}$

Sub-types & Authentic Slide Examples

MISINFORMATION

• False connection – headline/visual mismatch.
• Misleading content – selective statistics, cropped photos (e.g., PNP murder graph $2010–2016$ exaggerating changes by axis manipulation or incomplete months).

DISINFORMATION

• False context – true image/video/text, but reused in new misleading setting (Catholic ritual photo repurposed as anti-Duterte witchcraft allegation).
• Imposter content – fake bylines, stolen logos (fabricated ABS-CBN screenshots about diabetes cure; Daily Guardian quote card altered re Sara Duterte K14+ ROTC plan).
• Manipulated content – genuine media digitally altered (Sen. De Lima’s face swapped on Gloria Arroyo hospital image; fake SMNI graphic on VP confidential funds).
• Fabricated content – pure invention such as fake “fox-news24.com” headline claiming Robredo’s daughter drug arrest.

MAL-INFORMATION

• Leaks of private data for revenge or politics (revenge porn, doxxing).
• Graphic images (dead child photo) shown without context to incite ethnic hatred.

Ethical, Philosophical & Practical Implications

• Erodes public trust, polarizes discourse, endangers lives & democracies.
• Necessitates critical literacy & institutional responses (fact-checking orgs like VERA Files, PCOO statements, BIR/PAGCOR guidelines, etc.).

Applied Case Library (Fake vs Real Statements)

• Harry Roque / POGO favoritism – doctored vs authentic briefing quotes; need to compare language, date, source (
  • Fake: “$460$ million pesos buwan-buwan… what are we in power for?”
  • Real: mentions equal-protection clause, BIR, PAGCOR, COVID-19 revenues).
• Diabetes Cure Ad – fake ABS-CBN “news” uses Dr. Tony Leachon & journalist photo; VERA Files debunk: no cure exists, product unregistered.
• Sara Duterte K14+ & ROTC – altered quote card, original simply said “ready to rumble” as education secretary.
• VP confidential funds – fake graphic quoting VP Sara on $125$ million pesos in $11–19$ days; original Senate gratitude statement.

Media & Information Literacy: Five Core Concepts (Center for Media Literacy, $2005$)

1. All media messages are $\text{constructed}$.
2. Messages use a creative language with genre-specific rules.
3. Audiences decode messages differently (age, culture, experience).
4. Media embed values & points of view.
5. Most messages are organized to gain profit and/or power.

Connections & Real-World Relevance

• Builds resilience against election propaganda, health scams, financial fraud.
• Essential for academic integrity, lifelong learning, career competence.
• Supports democratic participation by fostering informed decision-making.

Numerical & Statistical Highlights (not exhaustive)

• $460$ million pesos per month – alleged POGO contribution (fake quote).
• $125$ million pesos confidential funds – VP budget claim in fake graphic.
• $32$ million voters “pabudol” – viral false post on mandatory extra schooling & service.
• Murder/Homicide slide figures: peaks $16{,}160$ in $2011$; low $5{,}451$ in $2016$ (but graph manipulates time-span/August cut-off).

Practical Study Tips

• Practice CRAAP test (Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, Purpose) on viral posts.
• Use reverse image search & fact-checkers (VERA Files, Rappler, etc.).
• When numbers appear, inspect scale, time frame, and data source.
• Always trace original context; scrutinize logos, URLs, language style.
• Cite properly with APA/MLA/Chicago; remember plagiarism consequences.