Ms Martina Chapman:

It is actually a positive. The whole issue of disinformation is extremely complex. Any solution to it will be very complex as well and will require different organisations and different sources of support at different stages. Absolutely, it is about the cradle-to-the-grave approach. Again, this goes back to the research. In order to effectively develop a cradle-to-grave approach, we need to understand the difference between all of those different life stages. It is not just ages; it is also socioeconomic factors. There is a huge number of factors. Going back to the point about whether the Government is doing enough, technology is only one part of this. The Deputy is absolutely right. It is a different platform. It is a different way of disinformation being spread. Yes, it is potentially much faster and with a much greater reach but there are specific factors that will make specific people vulnerable to different types of disinformation and that is a completely different conversation we probably need to be having and involving different parts of Government as well. Absolutely, we need the cradle-to-the-grave approach. Yes, we need media literacy in schools. It is already in schools but not as a bespoke subject. It is kind of cross-curricular. There are advantages and disadvantages to that. One of the advantages to this is that it can be brought into different subjects and be talked about. Where the vulnerability with that approach lies is with the teachers. It is about making sure the teachers are skilled and informed enough to be able to facilitate those conversations in classrooms. Some countries do have bespoke media literacy classes but there is an issue around that as well. The technology changes so quickly. The other factors such as social norms, even legislation, change so quickly. It takes so long to get a curriculum agreed and signed off, to get teachers upskilled and it into the classroom, that by the time it is in the classroom, it needs to be changed again. The cross-curricular piece is really important. With young people and people at school and in formal education, there is a great mechanism there to deliver media literacy learning but it is people who do not have regular access to formal learning opportunities who are probably more at risk and need more support.