Media Literacy Café meet-up: Information from reliable sources — a challenge for people with hearing disabilities

A Media Literacy Café meet-up was organized on February 20 by the Independent Journalism Center (IJC), for the first time involving 45 elderly people with hearing disabilities from Chisinau. During the event, the participants learned about media education and how to develop their analysis and critical thinking skills to avoid being manipulated and misinformed. The event was organized in partnership with the Association of the Deaf of the Republic of Moldova (ASRM) and the Republican House of Culture of the Deaf in Moldova.

“The society we live in is dominated by information. This means that knowing how to check sources for trustworthiness and how to tell a well-documented news story from one feeding you fake facts or out-of-context phrases aimed at manipulating or misinforming public opinion is a real challenge. During the workshop, we will try to answer two important questions: What is media education and why do we need it?”, Victoria Tataru, IJC Program Coordinator said in her welcome speech at the event.

Diana Railean, journalist and Media Literacy Café meet-up trainer, presented several examples of fake content used to manipulate and misinform the public. “Lately, the press has become one of the most accessible means of manipulation, misinformation and information pollution. Beware of fake news and sites that publish fake news and do not rush to share information that you have not checked. The press provides information, not rumors and falsehoods! A well-written news story will answer the questions: Who? What? When? Where? How? Why? A proper news story will contain the opinions of at least two independent sources that will inform and will not distort the message”, said the journalist.

The Media Literacy Café meet-up participants were encouraged to join in an interactive activity so they could better understand how message distortion occurs. Their task was to reproduce the content of a visual message from one person to another using gestures, without knowing in advance what the original message was. This game allowed the participants to realize how easily the information we receive can reach us in a distorted form and how, when we share it, we only help spread the fake further.

In the second part of the event, Diana Railean gave several examples to demonstrate how manipulation takes place, including through photos.

“When you see a photo in the press, on TV or online, including on social media, always ask yourself — is this picture real? Have we been shown everything or just what we need to see?  Or maybe it is a creation of artificial intelligence?”, the journalist asked rhetorically to argue why media skills and critical thinking are a must for people at any age.

During the activity, people with hearing disabilities managed to assimilate the information thanks to a team of sign language interpreters employed by the Association of the Deaf of the Republic of Moldova who facilitated the communication.

Alla Bargan, director of the Republican House of Culture of the Deaf in Moldova (CRCSM), said she was extremely happy with the idea of sharing knowledge on media education with people with hearing disabilities who have little access to information. According to her, these people always need training, guidance and support to solve the problems they face.

“The Association has hired 10 sign language interpreters. Our biggest problem is the society’s neglect for this community group. People with hearing disabilities are torn away from the society and seem to live in a world of their own because others do not understand them and often ignore them”, Alla Bargan said.

The interpreter also added that information is one of their biggest challenges. “These people do not socialize enough because they have very little access to media channels. The situation has somewhat changed with the advent of social media that have many interest groups and many bloggers from various countries providing information in sign language. Even though the meaning of some signs may differ from country to country, nevertheless people with hearing disabilities understand one another because it is a language they perceive as unique to them”, the CRCSM director said.

When asked about the local sources of information available to people with hearing disabilities, Alla Bargan specified that occasionally the Association holds information sessions called Deaf News that present a selection of news from different media channels using sign language. Also, the approximately 5,000 people with hearing disabilities living in our country have the opportunity to join two Facebook groups (one private and one public) and also to visit the Association’s web page where relevant information is published.

“Most of the Association’s members, whether young or old, spend hours on social media (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok) which are their main source of information. Given that the country’s TV channels practically lack musical programs and films of relevance for this category of people, all the burden is carried by the Association’s sign language interpreters. Day in and day out, we are a bit of psychologists, lawyers, social workers and so on. People with hearing disabilities come to us, to the Association, because they know this is where they will always find support and understanding. They rarely go to a public institution”, Alla Bargan concluded.

The Media Literacy Café meet-up participants appreciated the significance of the information provided and said they would follow the advice they received.

Valentina Bujor, member of the Association of the Deaf

I’m an elderly person and I always lack the right information. I learned a lot of new and useful things. The information gained will help me be more careful and responsible in sharing information online. I would like to participate in such activities again.

Ionut Copaceanu, member of the Association of the Deaf

I’m grateful to you for giving us this kind of information. I was most interested in information about our behavior and security online and deceptions that can occur inadvertently or negligently. I realized the risk of being deceived by scammers and that we need to be aware of that and careful.

Svetlana Dolgopolova, member of the Association of the Deaf, employee of the Republican House of Culture of the Deaf in Moldova

I’m a hearing-impaired person and I’m very grateful to you for this training. The information you gave us is very useful, given that we have no access to information sources. There are barely any TV programs in sign language, and it upsets me so much. I’ve learned new things that make me stronger.

The Media Literacy Café meet-up was organized within the project „Building cohesion in Moldova through promoting social inclusion and diminishing discrimination” implemented by the Independent Journalism Center within the program “Joint Equal Opportunity Initiative – Phase II” implemented with the support of the Government of Switzerland.