Extensive sessions were held on the discourse of information in digital age and how it impacts the democracies at the ongoing International Faculty Development Programme organised by IP University, New Delhi. Experts from national and international universities discussed the issues related to information literacy, misinformation, disinformation and fake news that is vigorously circulated in the social networking sites.
The experts concluded that fake news erodes the credibility of the traditional media as well.
Professor Jatin Srivastava from Institute of International Journalism, E W Scripps School of Journalism, Ohio University, USA discussed the importance of information and media literacy in his address titled ‘Research in Communication and Media Studies: An Information Literacy driven agenda’. He discussed the democratic potential of new media whereas cautioned regarding the digital divide and other challenges.
Professor Nikolaos Panagiatou from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece discussed the need and potential of Data Journalism. He emphasised that journalists are required to draw meanings out from the large sets of data and the algorithms or machine cannot replace them. Journalists should give importance to accuracy over speed, meaning than describing, multiple sources than merely reading and analysis than impressions.
He tried to predict the future of journalism in the digital age.His lecture was titled ‘Emerging trends in Data and Journalism’.
The two-week online Faculty Development Programme/Research Methodology Workshop on the theme ‘Developing Academic Leaders for Future: The Way Forward’ is scheduled from April 15, 2021 to April 27, 2021.
The programme is organised by University School of Mass Communication, IIQAC-NAAC, MOOCs-IPU. The FDP is sponsored by the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), Ministry of Education, Government of India, New Delhi.
Dr Ruth Sabina Francis, Programme Director, School of Hospitality Tourism and Events, Taylor’s University, Malaysia will deliver her lecture on the topic ‘Open Education Resources-MOOCs, Flipped Learning and Blended Learning’.
Dr Dhiman Chattopadhyay from Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania, USA will deliver his lecture on the topic ‘Nature and Types of Social Science Research’.
The Faculty Development Programme was inaugurated by Ambassador Akhilesh Mishra (IFS), OSD (Development Partnership Administration), Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India. The ceremony was graced by Padma Shri Prof (Dr) Mahesh Verma, Vice Chancellor, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, New Delhi.
Prof AK Saini, (University School of Management Studies), Chairman, NAAC-IIQAC-NAAC and Prof Queeny Pradhan, Dean, USMC are the Chairpersons for the Faculty Development Programme.
Dr Durgesh Tripathi is the coordinator for the programme and Dr Sachin Bharti is the Co-Coordinator for the event.