The Roy Howard Community Journalism Center, in partnership with the Stone County Enterprise, will host a free media literacy training on Feb. 3 in Wiggins.

The “Ask Me What is True?” class, which is open to the public, is from 5:30-6:30 p.m. at the Stone County Library at 242 Second Street South. To reserve a seat, call Joshua Wilson, the center’s community liaison, at 601-266-4265 or send him an email at [email protected].

“Participants in this free class will learn how to responsibly consume and digest news and other information,” Wilson said. “They will be able to combat disinformation and misinformation in their communities and beyond.”

Media literacy is a key component of the center, which launched Jan. 6. The University of Southern Mississippi houses the endeavor, which is funded by the Scripps Howard Foundation for three years at $1 million per year.

“We know media literacy — or the ability to evaluate media in its various forms — counters the spread of false information,” Wilson said. “This training will build a more media-savvy public, and we’re excited to offer it at public venues, like the library in Wiggins, or even to civic organizations and churches.”

Groups interested in hosting a media literacy training can contact Wilson.

“We can customize the length of the training based on a group’s specific needs,” he said. “We can also offer our full training, which runs about 2 hours and culminates in a certification for each participant. After someone has earned that, they can lead trainings of their own and really be ambassadors for our media literacy program.”

Two opportunities to earn the certification are available in February. Offered through the Southern Miss Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, the first opportunity is from 12-2 p.m. on Feb. 6 at the university’s Gulf Park campus in Long Beach. Another session will be held from 9:30-11:30 a.m. on Feb. 13 at the Hattiesburg campus.

To register for the Gulf Park class, call 228-214-3277. To register for the Hattiesburg class, call 601-266-6554. You may also register by emailing [email protected].

In addition to hosting media literacy trainings, the center also operates a “What is True?” service. The free service offers the public a way to verify information they may have seen on social media and other platforms or heard from a friend or family member. Members of the public can call 601-266-TRUE (8783), email [email protected] or submit a request at www.rhcjcnews.com.

Once a request is received, center staff members will research it and return results within two business days. The investigation’s results will also be posted on the center’s website and social media channels.

The center serves 10 counties in southeast Mississippi, pairing seven full-time media professionals with almost 30 student reporters from area high schools, community colleges and Southern Miss.

The goal, Wilson said, is to “offer high-quality, original reporting on issues that affect you and your community.” News packages are released weekly at www.rhcjcnews.com and can be republished by local media outlets at no cost.

“Between our media literacy work and our reporting, we’re excited to make a concrete difference in southeast Mississippi,” Wilson said.