In The Loop, September 2023
9 minutes read | First published: September 26, 2023
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OUR LATEST NEWS 🚀
💡 NEW RESEARCH ON HOW TO CREATE EFFECTIVE DIGITAL AND MEDIA LITERACY EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
How can educators create effective resources that invite young people to think critically about their relationship with technologies and the digital world they want to live in? Our new research aims to answer this question through the experience of educators, the perspectives of teenagers, and the insights of experts. Read the full report 'An Assessment of the Needs of Educators and Youth in Europe for a Digital and Media Literacy Education Intervention' here.
These are some of the highlights of the report, produced in the frame of the Media Literacy Case for Educators project by the European Schoolnet (EUN), the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA), Save The Children Italy (STC) and Tactical Tech and co-funded by the European Union:
🧑🏫 LEARN MORE ABOUT THE STATE OF THE MEDIA AND DIGITAL LITERACY FIELD:
The research by the expert Laura Vidal includes information from more than 20 resources by institutions, academics, experts and civil society organizations and insights from interviews with educators. Read the research 'Digital and Media Literacy Experiences: Navigating an Ever-Evolving Landscape' here.
✨ DISCOVER THE NEW WORKSHOP OUTLINES FOR YOUTH:
Two new workshop outlines were published for educators and facilitators interested in hosting their sessions. Find out more here:
➡️ How Tech Shapes Our Future: Through discussions and creative activities, participants will understand how AI works and speculate how it could shape their future. Download workshop outline here.
➡️ What Matters to Us: Through activities and discussions, participants will discover, share, and examine what matters to them in their lives, realities, and futures. Download workshop outline here.
🖼️🇭🇷 THE WHAT THE FUTURE WANTS EXHIBITION IS NOW AVAILABLE IN CROATIAN
Croatian speakers! The exhibition created by and for young people that promotes conversations about their digital experience, how technology impacts them and the future they want is now available in Croatian thanks to Maja Lesinge, Municipal Senior Librarian of the Library of Prelog (Knjižnica i čitaonica Grada Preloga). Check the exhibition in Croatian and in the other 19 languages available.
Email us at youth@tacticaltech.org if you want to host an exhibition! If you are looking for inspiration to spark debate in class, take a look at the Educators Guide page, where we compiled printable activities and workshop ideas that you will find handy.
One of the cards from The Real Life of Your Selfie exhibition.
🆕 NEW WORKSHOP CURRICULA FOR JOURNALISTS AND INVESTIGATORS IN SPANISH AND FRENCH
👉 Want to host a session on methods to identify, investigate and tell social stories relevant to local communities? Our partner, Técnicas Rudas, adapted and translated the Exposing the Invisible workshop curriculum "A 'New Narratives' Approach to Investigations' into Spanish. Explore the workshop curriculum 'Un enfoque de nuevas narrativas para las investigaciones' here.
👉 The workshop outline 'Investigating Climate Change Adaptation: Methods and Principles' is now available in French thanks to our Exposing the Invisible partner, Xavier Coadic, who ran a series of workshops and adapted the curricula. Check the workshop curricula 'Investiguer l'adaptation au changement climatique: Méthodes et principes' here.
📢 THE PORTUGUESE EXPOSING THE INVISIBLE KIT WAS OFFICIALLY LAUNCHED
Our partners Escola de Dados Brazil and Celso Bessa held a webinar to launch the Brazilian-Portuguese version of the Exposing the Invisible Kit, 'Kit Expondo o Invisível', a self-learning guide for investigators, journalists and everyone interested in conducting research that includes investigation techniques, OSINT tools, practical tips and more. Watch the recording of the conversation on YouTube.
Explore the Kit in Brazilian-Portuguese here.
RESOURCES AND TOOLS ON DATA, POLITICS AND DEMOCRACY 🗳️
On September 15, which marks the International Day of Democracy, we made a selection of resources to increase awareness of how citizens’ data is used to influence and potentially manipulate them before elections.
🗃️ NEW DATA ON THE SERVICES OFFERED BY PRIVATE FIRMS AND THE POLITICAL PARTIES THAT PAY FOR THEM
Are you covering or monitoring elections or investigating and researching how political parties work with data-driven technologies and private firms to influence election outcomes? Tactical Tech’s research team has identified over 80 political parties worldwide that have used digital services for influence and over 75 types of work or services offered by companies ranging from “Dismisinformation” to “Opinion Research”. Discover the new date on the Explorer here.
🌐 DISCOVER OUR STUDY CASES TO FIND OUT HOW THE INFLUENCE INDUSTRY OPERATES WORLDWIDE
From Lebanon to Argentina. All across the world, private firms offer services to political parties to influence the outcome of elections. We have partnered with over fifteen journalists, investigators and researchers to examine the influence industry in their countries and contexts. Read the cases here:
➡️ Online platforms, Polling, and Misinformation: Electioneering strategies in Nepal by Researchers Tilak Prasad Pathak and Ujjwal Prajapati from the Center for Media Research-Nepal. Read here.
➡️ What Benin can learn from the role of the Influence Industry in West Africa by expert Qemal Affnagon. Read here.
➡️ The influence industry in Argentinean Elections. Tracking firms through financial reporting by researchers from La Asociación por los Derechos Civiles (ADC). Read here.
➡️ The Transparency of Facebook Disclaimers in the 2022 Lebanon Elections by expert Rayan Shaya. Read here.
➡️ Google Ads in Election Campaigns by Glyn Thomas. Read here.
➡️ The Industry Behind Your Vote: A Visual Essay by Sihang Sun. Read here.
OPEN CALLS 📢
WE’RE HIRING! Check out these new open positions and join our team as:
- Finance Manager: apply here
- Finance Coordinator: apply here
To apply, send an email to jobs@tacticaltech.org. We are looking forward to hearing from you!
EVENTS THAT EMPOWER YOU 💡
[EXHIBITION 🖼️] THE GLASS ROOM: MISINFORMATION EDITION AND WHAT THE FUTURE WANTS AT THE FORUM ON INTERNET FREEDOM IN AFRICA. DAR ES SALAM, TANZANIA. SEPTEMBER 27-29, 2023
Thanks to our partners, PolicyLab Africa, our exhibitions will travel to Tanzania! The Collaboraorganisednternational ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) organised the event. FIFAfrica 2023 offers a platform for critical engagement of diverse stakeholders in identifying the most pressing internet rights-related issues and challenges that must be addressed at national and regional levels. Find more information here.
[ONLINE CONFERENCE 🙋] FACTS AND CONTEXTS MATTER MEDIA LITERACY IN EAST ASIA AND EUROPE. OCTOBER 28, 2023
The Goethe-Institut, in collaboration with the German Federal Agency for Civic Education, will jointly host this online conference focused on the spread of misinformation, disinformation and hate speech online, especially during decisive events like elections, natural disasters, or times of crisis, and the potential for interventions to confront this issue. Experts from Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and Germany will discuss how civil society, journalists, and regulators deal with this phenomenon in their regions and discuss their methods. Join the conference here.
[FESTIVAL 🎨] KIKK FESTIVAL. BODIES OF WATER. NAMUR, WALLONIA, BELGIUM. OCTOBER 26 - 29, 2023
Over 35 speakers, 40 artworks, 35 prototypes and 25k visitors will be part of this international festival of digital and creative cultures that explores the crossovers between art, science and technology. Every year, KIKK organizes a festival to showcase digital practices in the broadest sense. More information here.
MEET OUR PARTNERS WORLDWIDE 💫
🌟 MAJA LESINGER: ADVANCING YOUTH’S DIGITAL AND FINANCIAL SKILLS IN CROATIA
With a dedicated 15 years of work at the Municipal Library of Prelog (Knjižnica i čitaonica — KIC), including 9 years as its director, Senior Librarian Maja Lesinger’s efforts were recognized in 2017 when the library was awarded the title of Croatian Library of the Year. She co-developed an educational program focusing on children's digital and financial skills at KIC Prelog, which received the 2020 international EIFL Innovation Award. Maja also serves as a digital well-being educator, contributing to projects such as The Glass Room, Data Detox Kit, Data Detox X Youth, and What The Future Wants. In addition to this role, she has authored two children's books and co-authored a professional manual for children's librarians. Check the Library Facebook account.
🌟 TECNICAS RUDAS: EQUIPPING HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS WITH INVESTIGATIVE SKILLS IN MEXICO
Tecnicas Rudas works with the community in Mexico to contribute to social movements and human rights defence through technology, strategic research, project development and institutional strengthening. Partnering with Tactical Tech's Exposing the Invisible project, Tecnicas Rudas adapted and translated the workshop curriculums "A 'New Narratives' Approach to Investigations" and 'Security First! Fundamentals of preventive digital security. They hosted a workshop for Human Rights Defenders, high school and university teachers, students, journalists and graphic and audiovisual artists using these materials. Find out more about their work.
OUR MONTHLY POLL 📊
Debates around the creation of computer-simulated emotions are rising. We have seen a proliferation of AI caregivers, best friends and even romantic partners that, in the future, could impact how humans build relationships. In your opinion, this tech will:
Read the article Artificial Emotion. As the physical and digital worlds converge, new types of emotional relationships are emerging between humans and machines. By Ferran Esteve.
WHAT WE ARE READING 🔍
- [💡 INVESTIGATION] Is the UN really climate neutral? No. By Jacob Goldberg, Léopold Salzenstein, Sarah Brown, Shaz Syed. Go to source.
- [📝 ARTICLE] We tested ChatGPT in Bengali, Kurdish, and Tamil. It failed. Passports and Power. By Andrew Deck. Go to source.
- [👁️ VISUAL ESSAY] Game of words by Anastasia Balagurova, who analyses how information manipulation works and the narrative of Russian media about the war in Ukraine. Go to source.
- [📚👓 BOOK SUGGESTION] In “Seeing Others”, sociologist Michèle Lamont describes how people are “seen” as worthy or stigmatized in US society and the need for different narratives. It includes articles by Shira Zilberstein and Mari Sanchez who pass the mic to Gen Z young adults interviewed to share their views on how to tackle this future challenge. Interview by Elena G. van Stee on Contexts magazine. Go to source.
- [📝 ARTICLE] Malaysian government told to stop playing ‘Big Brother’ to media. By Mong Palatino. Go to source.
- [📝 ARTICLE] Too much too young: I talked to 10,000 children about pornography. Here are 10 things I learned by Abbey Wright. Go to source.
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