Critical Thinking and Disinformation: Urgent Tasks for Government and Citizens

Puerto Rico’s Youth Lead the Way in Media Literacy and Information Access

In Loíza, high school student Yosuel sought information about Hurricane María recovery funds. In Salinas, Coralis wanted details about solar panels on agricultural land. In Vieques, Adriana and Raisel inquired about construction projects for a sports complex and hospital. In Lares, Yanira and Yarimar asked about solutions to daily water service interruptions.

These young citizens successfully exercised their right to access public information through Medioscopio, an initiative by the Centro de Periodismo Investigativo’s (CPI) Institute for Journalistic Training. The program teaches public school students to become critical media consumers and citizen journalists.

Since 2022, more than 80 students have participated in workshops covering information verification, source reliability, and media representation of gender and racial identities. They’ve also learned podcast creation and using rap as a storytelling medium.

“These students represent a segment of society that is alert, engaged, and eager to actively shape public policies that impact their lives and communities,” notes a program facilitator who leads workshops on free speech and public information access.

These educational efforts fall under “media literacy” – teaching skills to access and evaluate information from various sources. The importance of such programs is highlighted during Global Media and Information Literacy Week, established by UNESCO in 2012 and recognized by the United Nations in 2021.

The annual observance, held during the last week of October, aims to combat disinformation by strengthening people’s ability to distinguish between truthful and false information – a critical skill in today’s digital landscape.

UNESCO reports that 56% of the global population, particularly younger generations, relies on social media for current events. Alarmingly, two-thirds of digital content creators admit they don’t verify information before sharing it online, though 73% express interest in learning fact-checking techniques.

In Puerto Rico, Senator Brenda Pérez Soto recently introduced Senate Bill 820, proposing the Puerto Rico Media and Digital Literacy Act. The legislation would require the Department of Education to integrate media and digital literacy competencies into public school curricula, teaching students fact verification and fact-checking methodologies.

However, critics point to a contradiction: the same senator voted for Senate Bill 63 (PS 63), which would add new limitations to the 2019 Transparency Act, potentially restricting access to public information.

Under the Senate-approved version of PS 63, requests like those made by Medioscopio students could face significant barriers. If information is scattered across various reports rather than contained in a single document, agencies could refuse disclosure. Missing email addresses for officials – often difficult to find online – could render requests “defective.” Citizens without email access or formal postal addresses might be unable to submit requests altogether.

“If PS 63 becomes law, it would create additional bureaucratic barriers to exercising our right to know,” explains a program advocate. “Today, these students, like any person in Puerto Rico, have the right to request and obtain information held by the government. The Constitution protects that right.”

The CPI conducted a fact-checking exercise on claims made during legislative discussions of PS 63, finding that New Progressive Party Senator Ángel Toledo’s statements about information request response deadlines in U.S. jurisdictions lacked factual basis.

As PS 63 moves to the House of Representatives, which has announced plans for public hearings, civil society organizations continue their educational campaign. They invite anyone committed to media literacy grounded in human rights to join efforts defending public access to information.

The Medioscopio initiative demonstrates how young citizens can engage meaningfully with governance when given proper tools and education – showing that media literacy isn’t just about consuming information critically, but actively participating in democracy through informed civic action.