RMIT University Empowers People And Communities Through Critical Media Literacy

Study in Australia: RMIT University's School of Media and Communication has introduced the RMIT Information Integrity Hub to empower people and communities by providing critical media literacy.

The School of Media and Communication at RMIT University has introduced the RMIT Information Integrity Hub. It is a new initiative to bring together the School's research capabilities and world-class education to address the origins and spread of mis-and disinformation.

The hub's activities will also extend into the education programs of the School of Media and Communication. The academics of the hub will be directly engaging with the students of undergraduate and postgraduate journalism and communication to teach them critical thinking skills so they get the ability to combat misinformation.

The hub will empower people and communities to be critical media producers and consumers by upholding and advancing the integrity of public information.

A current key research project of the RMIT University is the RMIT Election Promise Tracker, which follows and assesses the progress of 66 commitments made by the Albanese Government which they made during the 2022 election campaign.

Chief Investigator and RMIT Associate Dean, Communication Professor Lisa Waller is leading the project ‘Promissory democratic representation: Campaign promises in Australia’ which is part of an Australian Research Council (ARC) funded Discovery Project.

“The Election Promise Tracker is designed to keep voters informed about how well the Labor government has kept its promises over this parliamentary term. In a very noisy media landscape where misinformation and disinformation online are rife, the tracker provides an independent and research-informed assessment of whether the government has done what it said it would. It speaks to the core purpose of the new RMIT Information Integrity Hub – to provide members of the public with the tools and critical awareness to verify the information they’re encountering and make informed decisions,” she said.

More Details Of RMIT Information Integrity Hub

The status of the 66 promises was assessed under the five categories, including in progress, stalled, delivered, thwarted or broken. It offers a transparent evidence base for its conclusions and is based on data drawn from the findings of the ARC Discovery Project.

Professor Lisa French, Dean of the School of Media and Communication, said, "The Information Integrity Hub is an important initiative to consolidate the School’s new and existing research and education in this space. Digital technology has supercharged the creation, spread and consumption of information, and with it has come information pollution that not only sows mistrust and confusion but also sharpens existing socio-cultural divisions. In a world where social media and the internet touch on almost every aspect of society, the need to minimise the risks posed by harmful digital information has never been greater.”

“As a school renowned for our strong industry and community connections, our work through the Information Integrity Hub, building on our already well-developed skillset, will further equip our students with work-ready skills, open up collaborative networks for our researchers and contribute to the health of public information for the greater good," added Lisa French.

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