Advance Digital Media Education and Information Literacy (ADMEL)

Rapid advancement in technology and the changing socio-economic and political dynamic in Sri Lanka have created more room for the spread of alarming misinformation and disinformation. Major events of the recent past: ethnic violence; the emergence of extremist movements; an attempted parliamentary coup; the Easter Sunday attacks; and a presidential election; have expanded opportunities for this rapid growing phenomenon. CMIL has observed that this trend is prevalent not only in the social media sphere but amongst mainstream media as well. This is a viable threat to the democratic process in Sri Lanka.

CMIL has identified the following strategic training priorities:

• Handling misinformation and disinformation
• Enhancing digital citizenship
• Digital safety and countering cyber extremism
• Alternative media narrative for excluded segments
• Digital media literacy and education
• Media ethics and regulation

Advocating for Critical Thinking (ACT)

For the first time, citizens in Sri Lanka expressed their displeasure over declining public trust and accountability of media. The way the media treated and dealt with a series of incidents of ethnic violence (2018/2019), an attempted parliamentary coup (2018), the Easter Sunday attacks (2019), and the presidential election (2019), demonstrated its failure to provide true, impartial and inclusive news and information. Added to this, an unregulated digital sphere becomes highly vulnerable to hate speech and disinformation and misinformation.

The following strategic advocacy priorities have been identified by CMIL.

• Constant awareness of disinformation
• Constant awareness of growing cyber extremism
• Hate speech and intolerance
• Free and professional media
• Ethical journalism
• Self-regulation and public trust

Research for Innovation and Strategic Enhancement (RISE)

CMIL realizes the need for constant research on how media influences the public mindset and their ability to create a vibrant democracy, maintaining governance accountability. However, it also learned the vitality of conducting interactive, digital and civil-friendly studies rather than an entirely academic narration.