The News Literacy Project in Vietnam
A group of Vietnamese States Alumni sponsored by the States Department has run a project to help students from five local universities approach news and news production from a critical viewpoint.
The one-year project started in May, 2013. Thirty alumni, local lecturers, and journalists joined the July 27-28 training-the-trainers workshop at University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Ho Chi Minh. They were commited to help create training materials and provide training for students of University of Social Sciences and Humanities - Ho Chi Minh City, An Giang University, Nha Trang University, Da Lat University, and University of Education - Da Nang University.
Training materials are created based on News Literacy curricula of Stony Brook University (US) and Journalism and Media Studies Center (Hong Kong); however, all examples and exercises are selected from Vietnamese journalism practices. The project covers critical skills such as distinguishing news and other kinds of information based on its purpose, evaluating news sources based on I'M VAIN formula (Independent, Multiple, Verified, Authoritative/Informed, Named Sources), introducing the concepts of fairness and balance, and upraising journalists' practice of verification, independence, and accountability. It also has a special session devoted to online news deconstruction and how to become smart news consumers in the digital age.
More details about the project can be requested at newsliteracyvietnam(@)mail.com.
Huyen Nguyen*
* Huyen Nguyen was a Vietnamese Fulbright student in AY 2010-2011. She is currently doing her PhD in Mass Communication and Journalism at Ohio University (US) and is one of the coordinators for the News Literacy Project in Vietnam.