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Finland’s battle against fake news starts in preschool classrooms. It's protection against Russian propaganda. (apnews.com)
submitted 10 months ago by to c/Europe@europe.pub
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cross-posted from: https://mander.xyz/post/45053012

For decades, the Nordic nation has woven media literacy, including the ability to analyze different kinds of media and recognize disinformation, into its national curriculum for students as young as 3 years old. The coursework is part of a robust anti-misinformation program to make Finns more resistant to propaganda and false claims, especially those crossing over the 1,340-kilometer (830-mile) border with neighboring Russia.

Now, teachers are tasked with adding artificial intelligence literacy to their curriculum, especially after Russia stepped up its disinformation campaign across Europe following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine nearly four years ago. Finland’s ascension into NATO in 2023 also provoked Moscow’s ire, though Russia has repeatedly denied it interferes in the internal affairs of other countries.

“We think that having good media literacy skills is a very big civic skill,” Kiia Hakkala, a pedagogical specialist for the City of Helsinki, told The Associated Press. “It’s very important to the nation’s safety and to the safety of our democracy.”

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[–] 19 points 10 months ago (1 child)

This is excelent article about media literacy. Not because its great article, but because it shows how much bullshit people write over the internet.

Nobody is teaching media literacy to 3 year olds in Finland.

Yes in the early childhood education program there is part of teaching children in kindergarden the basics of media, trough children games and fun. Its there because it helps to build fountation for later learning. Much in the same way kids learn about animals and colours trough song and games. Its not like there are classes where teachers make children to take quizzes amd get grade from the subject.

Also it has been in the program since 2018. Its not there specifically against Russian propaganda.

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    • [–] 8 points 10 months ago (1 child)

    This is brilliant. And literally the only thing that will help Americans unfuck themselves. As a very small and detested group of intellectuals and academics have been saying for about sixty years now.

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    • [–] 6 points 10 months ago (1 child)

    I feel like propaganda is the wrong word for what Russia is doing online.

    Digital warfare is more about dividing your enemies and making them fight each other and waste resources, like they have successfully done with Americans.

    It's less about spreading your own agenda, and more about splitting others.

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  • [–] 2 points 10 months ago

    It's not even division, I once heard it described as "planned destruction of concensus reality". It's what the idiots panicking over "Russian bots" and "Putin's playbook" fundamentally fail to grasp: getting people who hate Russia to go on a never ending hunt for Russian bots is much easier than getting them to like Russia, but equally makes them counterproductive to local politics.

    Like that story from a few weeks ago, an AIPAC media campaign against an anti-Israel politician is less effective than AIPAC donating to him and then leaking it. Or, ideally, both.

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