IUB Observes Global Media and Information Literacy Week with Awareness Walk and Seminar

Bahawalpur, In light of the Global Media and Information Literacy week, the Department of Information Management, Faculty of Social Sciences, and SDGs Collaboration Center at the Islamia University of Bahawalpur (IUB) organized an awareness walk followed by a seminar focused on “Information and News Literacy in the Digital Age.”

According to Islamia University of Bahawalpur, the awareness walk saw active participation from Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Naveed Akhtar, Prof. Dr. Rubina Bhatti, Dean Faculty of Social Sciences, other faculty members, and a significant number of students. The subsequent seminar was held at the Sir Sadiq Muhammad Khan Library, Baghdad ul Jadeed Campus, with Mr. Imran Javed, Director Radio Pakistan Bahawalpur, and Advisor to DG Radio Pakistan, serving as the invited Guest Speaker.

Prof. Dr. Rubina Bhatti took the occasion to shed light on the critical role of media and information literacy in today’s world. Elaborating on the significance of the Global Media and Information Literacy Week, she noted that it’s an annual commemoration initiated by UNESCO. The week serves as a global platform for stakeholders to increase national engagement and applaud the progress towards achieving Media and Information Literacy for all. Prof. Bhatti further emphasized the importance of this global initiative, which has been celebrated since 2011, and shared personal anecdotes highlighting the ramifications of misinformation.

On his part, Mr. Imran Javed accentuated the pivotal role Radio Pakistan plays in ensuring the dissemination of factual news and information. He also engaged with the audience in a discussion about mechanisms to identify and counteract fake news in the digital age.

The seminar also featured a presentation by Prof. Dr. Salman Bin Naeem on News/Information Literacy in today’s digital landscape. Additionally, Dr. Khalid Mehmood Sanghera, Chief Librarian, addressed the audience. Dr. Mariam Abbas Soharwardi functioned as the seminar’s moderator, guiding the discussions and facilitating the exchange of ideas.