For the fourth consecutive year, Google News Initiative supports DigiMENTE, the first media education platform in Latin America

Today, the Google News Initiative (GNI) announced that, for the fourth consecutive year, it will continue to support DigiMENTE, the first media education platform in Latin America focused on Spanish-speaking countries in the region.

According to data from the Reuters Institute’s Digital News Report 2023, only 19% of people in Latin America always verify the veracity of the news they find on other websites or media outlets. This low percentage reflects the need to strengthen media education in the region to foster critical skills in the evaluation of information.

In a world where information spreads at the speed of light, the ability to distinguish between facts and rumors is more important than ever. It is essential to develop educational tools and programs that allow children, adolescents and adults to enter the digital environment in a critical and responsible way.

The 2024-2025 program has opened registration for people, educational institutions and organizations interested in accessing resources on disinformation for implementation in educational spaces. You just need to fill out a form and follow the instructions provided.

Those teachers, educational institutions or organizations interested in being part of this new 2024-2025 edition will receive educational resources on disinformation to use with their students. You just have to register in this form and follow the instructions to access the contents of DigiMENTE.

DigiMENTE, launched in 2020, is an initiative developed in collaboration with Movilizatorio, Teach For All, Enseñá por Argentina, Enseña por Colombia and Enseña por México. Its main objective is to train critical children and young people, equipping them with skills to evaluate sources, create and consume quality journalistic content. What do you think?

Since its launch, the platform has achieved important results in the region.

More than 400 educational institutions in Latin America have adopted DigiMENTE, integrating it both in extracurricular courses and in subjects such as computer science, ethics and reading. Program participants have improved their ability to analyze content and detect misinformation by 42%. Additionally, more than 8,000 teachers in Colombia, Mexico and Argentina have been trained in media literacy tools, transforming the way their students search and verify information online. Likewise, more than 20 educational networks have incorporated DigiMENTE into their platforms, expanding the reach of media education to thousands of students.

This initiative is a key step in promoting a more informed and critical citizenry in Latin America.

What is the Google News Initiative?

The Google News Initiative (GNI) is a global platform created by Google to collaborate with journalists and news organizations to promote a stronger and more sustainable media ecosystem. Launched in 2018, the Google News Initiative’s main purpose is to support the journalism industry and help the media face the challenges of the digital environment through innovation and the use of technology.

The initiative focuses on three key areas:

1. Accelerate innovation in journalism: Encourages the use of new technologies and tools to help media experiment with new formats and business models.
2. Strengthen media capabilities: Provides training programs, resources and funding to improve the skills and sustainability of news organizations.
3. Promote verification of information and combat misinformation: Supports projects and platforms that seek to train journalists and the public in fact-checking and media literacy.

GNI has collaborated with multiple organizations and projects around the world, such as DigiMENTE in Latin America, to promote media education and strengthen people’s ability to identify truthful and reliable information.