MANILA, Philippines – How can critical thinking and fact-checking skills be imparted to Gen Z Filipinos in a way that catches their attention and speaks their language? A video series started by John Kelly Alpapara, a media and information literacy advocate from Bicol, shows how this can be done.
Taken all together, the three videos in Alpapara’s vertical video series on Facebook, “Project MILES: Miles in Love,” have been played around 1.5 million times, garnered around 40,000 reactions, and elicited hundreds of comments, as of Saturday, December 28. It is posted on the Facebook page of The Stateans, the official college student publication of the Central Bicol State University of Agriculture (CBSUA).
The “edutainment” series, aimed at teaching young Filipinos how to stay critical in the face of online disinformation, was the product of Alpapara’s participation in the “Movers For Facts” media and information literacy workshops conducted by Rappler, the fact-checking coalition #FactsFirstPH and DW Akademie, the international media development and journalism training arm of Deutsche Welle, Germany’s international broadcaster. This project was funded by Germany’s Federal Foreign Office (Auswärtiges Amt).
At the heart of Alpapara’s project is a three-episode series called “Miles in Love” which centers on a teacher named Miles who, after hitting his head during a fall, goes back to the time he was a student. He realizes that, with his knowledge on fact-checking and critical thinking gained as an adult, he can now correct some mistakes, including a tragic error that affected his love life.
Miles is not only the name of the main character but also stands for Media and Information Literacy for Empowered Stateans. Stateans refer to CBSUA students.
Alpapara, who works as an information officer at the school, tapped student journalists of The Stateans as both cast and production team for the series.
In each episode, they integrated concepts on fact-checking, digital hygiene, and an overview of media consumption habits imparted during the Rappler and DW Akademie workshops. You can watch the episodes below.
In episode one, Miles and other characters show how disinformation reaches CBSUA students and its negative impact.
In episode two, Miles uses his skills in spotting AI manipulation to prove to his girlfriend that he has been faithful to her.
In episode three, Miles helps his friend figure out that he has been victimized by an online scam, but in the process, makes a shocking discovery for himself.
What did you think of this video series? Join the #FactsFirstPH chat room in the Rappler Communities app to connect with Alpapara and other Movers for Facts. In this community of media and information literacy advocates, we can explore other creative ways to spread critical thinking and fact-checking skills to those who need it the most.
You can check out other campaigns as well as media and information literacy content produced by other Movers for Facts in Luzon here, and Movers for Facts in Mindanao here. – Rappler.com