UNESCO equipped 184 women content creators, journalists, and civil society leaders in Iraq with media literacy skills to promote peace-oriented digital narratives and counter online hate speech as part of its “Social Media 4 Peace” project funded by the European Union.
The initiative responds to findings from UNESCO’s recent “Behind the Screens” study, which revealed that only 36.9% of digital content creators verify the information they share with their audiences. The same research found that 41.7% of creators primarily use popularity metrics, such as likes and views, to evaluate the reliability of online sources.
“In Iraq, where conflict and division have shaped so many lives, digital storytelling can humanize experiences that are usually spoken about only in numbers or headlines,” said Dutch filmmaker Rog Abd Al-Fattah, who contributed expertise to the training sessions held in Baghdad, Erbil, and Sulejamni.
The program features contributions from international specialists, including Moroccan developer and digital creator Mounia Belaid, as well as professors from five Iraqi universities who volunteered their expertise.
Ethical Framework Development
Workshop participants collaborated to draft an ethical framework for digital content creators and propose gender-transformative media policies. Discussions highlighted challenges specific to women in the sector, including exposure to online gender-based violence.
“As a woman creating digital content in Iraq, I know how difficult it can be to stay safe online,” noted one participant. “This program gave us tools not only to create safer digital spaces, but also to make our voices heard as women content creators in Iraq.”
Broader Media Literacy Challenges
The training addresses broader trends in information consumption. According to Pew Research data cited in the UNESCO study, 21% of Americans regularly receive news from social media creators, with this figure rising to 37% among adults aged 18-29.
The “Behind the Screens” survey found that content creators predominantly source material from personal experiences (58.1%), followed by independent research and expert interviews (38.7%). Both mainstream news media and non-mainstream online sources tie as the third most common source at 36.9%.
The research also identified key challenges facing creators, with 32.3% reporting experiences with hate speech. Most creators (31.5%) choose to ignore such incidents, while only 20.4% report them to platforms.
The training aligns with high interest among creators in ethical standards education. According to the study, 73.7% of content creators express interest in free online training focused on ethical practices and standards for freedom of expression.
Cecilia Carloni, Interview Manager at Influence Weekly and writer for NetInfluencer. Coming from beautiful Argentina, Ceci has spent years chatting with big names in the influencer world, making friends and learning insider info along the way. When she’s not deep in interviews or writing, she's enjoying life with her two daughters. Ceci’s stories give a peek behind the curtain of influencer life, sharing the real and interesting tales from her many conversations with movers and shakers in the space.
UNESCO equipped 184 women content creators, journalists, and civil society leaders in Iraq with media literacy skills to promote peace-oriented digital narratives and counter online hate speech as part of its “Social Media 4 Peace” project funded by the European Union.
The initiative responds to findings from UNESCO’s recent “Behind the Screens” study, which revealed that only 36.9% of digital content creators verify the information they share with their audiences. The same research found that 41.7% of creators primarily use popularity metrics, such as likes and views, to evaluate the reliability of online sources.
“In Iraq, where conflict and division have shaped so many lives, digital storytelling can humanize experiences that are usually spoken about only in numbers or headlines,” said Dutch filmmaker Rog Abd Al-Fattah, who contributed expertise to the training sessions held in Baghdad, Erbil, and Sulejamni.
The program features contributions from international specialists, including Moroccan developer and digital creator Mounia Belaid, as well as professors from five Iraqi universities who volunteered their expertise.
Ethical Framework Development
Workshop participants collaborated to draft an ethical framework for digital content creators and propose gender-transformative media policies. Discussions highlighted challenges specific to women in the sector, including exposure to online gender-based violence.
“As a woman creating digital content in Iraq, I know how difficult it can be to stay safe online,” noted one participant. “This program gave us tools not only to create safer digital spaces, but also to make our voices heard as women content creators in Iraq.”
Broader Media Literacy Challenges
The training addresses broader trends in information consumption. According to Pew Research data cited in the UNESCO study, 21% of Americans regularly receive news from social media creators, with this figure rising to 37% among adults aged 18-29.
The “Behind the Screens” survey found that content creators predominantly source material from personal experiences (58.1%), followed by independent research and expert interviews (38.7%). Both mainstream news media and non-mainstream online sources tie as the third most common source at 36.9%.
The research also identified key challenges facing creators, with 32.3% reporting experiences with hate speech. Most creators (31.5%) choose to ignore such incidents, while only 20.4% report them to platforms.
The training aligns with high interest among creators in ethical standards education. According to the study, 73.7% of content creators express interest in free online training focused on ethical practices and standards for freedom of expression.
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