Introduction

Podcasts have recently emerged as powerful tools for education. In light of the pervasive threat of misinformation and disinformation in today’s digital age, Penplusbytes, with support from DW-Akademie, launched the ‘MIL Knowledge Hub’ podcast in May 2024 as part of its annual Media and Information Literacy (MIL) project.

Over the past months, the ‘MIL Knowledge Hub’ has been dedicated to raising awareness among the general population, particularly young voters, who are often perceived as being less politically informed and more vulnerable to political misinformation and disinformation.

The project aligns with Penplusbytes’ broader objective of strengthening democracy through an informed citizenry. The podcast has been an innovative tool for making media and information literacy (MIL) education accessible and engaging.

Podcast Overview

The MIL Knowledge Hub podcast has produced a total of eight episodes, each focusing on critical aspects of media and information literacy education and how to build a digitally resilient society free from misinformation and disinformation.

Key Episodes and Themes

• Episode 1: Introduction to MIL

This episode introduced listeners to the concept of media and information literacy, its importance in today’s digital age, the purpose of media messages, and why it is essential to critically analyze media content.

• Episode 2: Young People’s Perspectives on the Mis/Disinformation Ecosystem in Ghana

This episode featured young people sharing their views on key actors and purveyors of disinformation in Ghana and recommended measures for the government and relevant stakeholders to implement to combat misinformation and disinformation.

• Episode 3: The Importance of Verification and Fact-Checking

This episode was inspired by the incident involving a Ghanaian chef, Ebenezer Smith, who falsely claimed to have broken the Guinness World Record for the longest cooking marathon. The editorial emphasized the importance of verification and fact-checking as critical components of MIL education, urging the media to uphold these standards.

• Episodes 4 & 5: Countering Mis/Disinformation in an Electoral Era (Parts 1 & 2)

MIL expert Harriet Ofori joined the host, Manuel, to explain the various types of misinformation and disinformation that arise during different phases of the electoral process, where these types of content originate, how to spot misleading information, and what to do when encountering false or misleading content. These episodes also addressed critical questions, such as how to find accurate election and candidate-related information and ways to handle electoral disinformation.

• Episode 6: AI, Disinformation, and Elections

This episode featured Tendai Mbanje, an election expert from the African Centre for Governance and the University of Pretoria, who discussed the dangers of disinformation in electoral processes and how AI is shaping elections and public opinion in Africa.

• Episodes 7 & 8: The Surge and Impact of Disinformation on Developing Democracies

These episodes explored the growing impact of misinformation and disinformation on developing democracies like Ghana, highlighting challenges and solutions.

Outcomes and Impact

The MIL Knowledge Hub podcast has achieved the following outcomes so far:

• Increased Awareness: Episodes produced have reached over 2,000 listeners on streaming platforms, including Afripods, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and various social media platforms like TikTok demonstrating growing awareness of MIL among the target audience.
• Empowered Youth: Feedback received in the comment section on social media shows that listeners felt more equipped to detect and counter misinformation and disinformation, with some reporting that they shared newly acquired fact-checking skills with peers.
• Enhanced Digital Literacy Skills: The series provided practical MIL education, helping listeners become responsible digital citizens.

Success Stories

Several listeners, the majority of whom were youth, shared how the podcast has positively impacted their ability to discern credible information.

Following the launch of the podcast, and less than a month after, the MIL Knowledge Hub podcast was ranked 1st in the category “How To” and 61st in the category “Education in Ghana” on Apple Podcasts by podstatus.com.

A listener commented on using fact-checking tools learned from Episode 4 to debunk a viral fake news story circulating on their school’s WhatsApp platform.

“Very insightful episode. Thanks for the fact-checking tools I learned. It was helpful in debunking a viral fake news story circulating on my school’s WhatsApp platform.” they stated.

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