OSCE Mission in Kosovo concludes series of lectures on media and information literacy in three public universities
Between October and November 2022, the OSCE Mission in Kosovo facilitated 48 lectures on media and information literacy for students at public universities in Mitrovicë/Mitrovica South, Pejë/Peć and Gjakovë/Ðakovica.
A total of 185 students participated in these lectures and acquired key media literacy skills. They delved into specific topics such as the effects of new media, the new context of communication, the construction of news, the role of the media regarding gender stereotypes, advertising literacy, multiculturalism in media, propaganda, political campaigns, fake news, verification and fact-checking.
The lectures followed similar co-operation with public universities in Prizren and Gjilan/Gnjilane in 2021, and the development of a comprehensive media literacy curriculum for higher education in 2019 together with the Department of Journalism at the University of Pristina.
In recent years, due to the necessity for students to possess media and information literacy skills in the current digital era, the topic was included as an elective course in primary and high schools, and some universities. In addition, the public universities in Prishtinë/Priština, Gjilan/Gnjilane and Gjakovë/Ðakovica, with their current study plans, envision media and information literacy to be taught as a mandatory course from 2023/2024 onwards. This will enable students to analyse media and how it affects their lives and communities, but also prepare them for their careers.
“Through our work with universities we encourage students to think critically about the content they receive daily so that they recognize disinformation and fake news. I am very pleased to see that students of Prishtinë/Priština, Gjilan/Gnjilane and Gjakovë/Ðakovica universities will now have media literacy as an obligatory course,” said the Head of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, Ambassador Michael Davenport. “I am glad that our longstanding collaboration with higher education institutions is helping young people to navigate a complex media landscape,’’ he added.
Over the past years, the OSCE Mission in Kosovo has undertaken a number of activities on media and information, including educational shows, campaigns and lectures for students of elementary and high schools students, and public universities. In co-operation with DokuFest, it also organized training workshops for around 70 high school teachers between 2018 and 2022.
The Mission encourages all public universities to integrate media literacy as a core course, and will continue supporting higher education in Kosovo to achieve this goal.