JMSC launches Strapline, a video series all about news literacy

The Journalism and Media Studies Centre (JMSC) today announced the launch of a video series called Strapline: News Literacy for the Rest of Us on YouTube, Facebook, and Medium.

Dr. Masato Kajimoto, Assistant Professor of Practice, is leading the renewed effort of JMSC’s ongoing news literacy initiative to develop teaching and learning materials for the general public in the Asian region.

“We are designing a curriculum that teaches practical methods to apply critical thinking skills that identify quality information in the news no matter where it comes from—be it from unknown bloggers, established news media, or friends on social media,” wrote Dr. Kajimoto in the opening statement on Strapline’s website.

While previous projects mainly targeted educators and students in classroom settings, the YouTube series brings the discussion of fact-checking techniques and reliable news to people’s everyday conversation, he said.

“I don’t want to look like a chump falling for ‘fake news.’ That’s why I’m here,” said the show’s host and co-producer Assistant Lecturer AJ Libunao in the teaser video.

The first five episodes and a bonus clip are now available on YouTube and Facebook. They tackle topics like clickbait, photojournalism, and press freedom. The official website and Medium pages include more detailed descriptions of relevant news literacy concepts and lesson plans for teachers.

The producers said they will be exploring a wide range of topics, even cognitive science and social psychology, in coming episodes to help the audience become more discerning news consumers.

Strapline is partially supported by a grant from the Google News Initiative, Google’s effort to work with the news industry to help journalism thrive in the digital age; JMSC plans to work closely with other educational organizations around Asia on this project. JMSC’s Technical Officer Roy Ching, Lab Assistant Li Chen, and Research Assistant/Ph.D. students Ann Choy and Samantha Stanley are the core team members.

For more information about Strapline, please contact Dr. Masato Kajimoto at kajimoto@hku.hk.