Wider and more systematic efforts are needed to make Montenegro a media literate society, because only a citizen who "reads" traditional and new digital and social media critically and meaningfully can make independent decisions, which is the basis for strengthening an open and progressive society.
This was announced at the final conference Youth and Media Literacy, which was organized by the Center for Civic Education (CEO) as part of the project "Media Literacy to the Development of Talents of High School Students - SMART!", which is being implemented with the financial support of the Ministry of Education.
The executive director of CGO, Daliborka Uljarević, while referring to the results of the project, emphasized the importance of media literacy as a need and orientation in relation to content in the media and on social networks, but also the fact that relevant international research positions Montenegro at the bottom of the ranking of countries in with whom media literacy was measured.
"The low index of media literacy, the lack of a strategy in that area, the decline in interest in attending classes, are just some of the challenges that require an institutional response through the additional effort of competent authorities and academic institutions, as well as the engagement of international organizations, non-governmental organizations and student associations in order to affirmed media literacy", stated Uljarević, according to the press release of the Pr Center.
She emphasized that the CGO advocates for the public to be widely acquainted with the role of the media and the value framework that the media creates in relation to the one that it would be desirable for them to create. "In this context, we must all insist on non-fact-based reporting, respect for the Code of Journalists, as well as suppressing the space for sensationalism in the media and the influence of advertisers. We are a society that is difficult and slow to democratize and Europeanize, and the media can be supportive in this if they place the public interest high, but also bring a new burden if they decide to, for the sake of different interests, be channels for the spread of spin, misinformation and/or false information. news," she said.
"There are a number of portals operating in Montenegro through which fake news is intensively spread and attempts are made to discredit dissidents, and some of them are not even registered according to the Montenegrin legal framework. Such media approaches to manipulatively influence public opinion must not be an alibi for generalizations and disqualification of those media and journalists who do their work professionally and ethically, nor for bad examples to be used to limit freedom of expression," Uljarević explained.
She concluded that "only a citizen who critically and meaningfully "reads" traditional and new digital and social media can make independent decisions, which is the basis for strengthening an open and progressive society."
The State Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Zejnel Klimenta, pointed out that projects of this nature are necessary considering the problems faced by young people, as well as other social groups.
"It is very important that those who are not directly related to this project be included in these efforts, because everyone can make a certain contribution to approach this issue systematically, to bring it into one context so that each of our children is media literate, to be able to to distinguish what is valid from what is not in the pile of information with which we are all buried today", emphasized Klimenta.
Klimenta said that the Ministry of Education is ready to contribute and participate in any project related to topics that can improve the functioning of the educational system and the environment for the development of young people in society.
"I think it is necessary to introduce this issue into the education system in the form of a school subject, where students would have the opportunity to learn about these topics in a systematic way. In this way, they can learn, at an early age, to deal with this problem, and they themselves will later be the bearers of such projects, in order to improve the environment in the whole society, especially in education and communication in general", is Kliment's message.
In the panel "What do young people in Montenegro read, watch and listen to?" How to improve the media literacy of young people?", member of the Parliamentary Committee for Education, Science, Culture and Sports, Aleksandra Vuković, said that in the conversation with the current Minister of Education, she stressed the need to establish a qualitative approach.
"If we do not do the best in education, if meritocracy does not prevail, if the best, most educated do not create the Media Literacy subject and do not teach it, we will have an inadequate attitude towards media ethics. If we don't awaken Homo ludens and Homo demensa in young people, if we don't awaken our creative activity, if we don't allow them to be what youth should be, if we don't encourage lucidity in them, we will have an absence of critically minded young people," Vuković assessed.
She said that she cannot accuse young people of not reading, because the current media culture is such, a digital society in which, as she stated, they are pressured by a lot of information that is fast and interesting to them, more than what they get as content at school.
"It surprises me how it is possible for someone to come to the first year of studies, to finish high school, without having read Hamlet. I wonder what the supervision of the teaching staff is like... How did we allow a student to leave school without having read Hamlet?", asked Vuković.
She announced that she will initiate a session of the Committee for Education, Science, Culture and Sports as soon as possible, which will be devoted to media literacy, and in order to encourage a systemic consideration of this issue.
Elvira Salagić Ceković, head of the Public Relations and General Affairs Service at the Agency for Electronic Media (AEM), pointed out that we cannot talk about whether the media are good or bad, but about the way we use them.
She recalled AEM's research on children's media usage habits, which showed that children watch less and less television, stating that they look for content more online.
"This indicates that it is necessary to engage the media to reach our children, to create content that is attractive to them so that we can have a positive influence on them. On the other hand, this reminds us of the great role of the state, as well as parents, teachers and the whole society," said Salagić Ceković.
She is of the opinion that a new generation of "Zumers" is currently represented, who are growing with technical innovations, are technically savvy, but do not have a developed critical awareness.
Professor of literature and media literacy Svetlana Jovetić Koprivica believes that the generational gap almost does not exist anymore.
"The generation gap is slowly melting. This is why students love Media Literacy, because it is what is alive, current and interesting. It is true that new generations no longer have the same interest in traditional media, and that social networks are a greater risk for us "from the other century". On the other hand, it is important to give them tools, to encourage them and not to doubt that they will be able and know how to use them", said Jovetić Koprivica, assessing that media literacy should be a mandatory content in schools.
The representative of NGO Juventas, Mićan Andrijašević, assessed that it is possible to improve media literacy through the topics and ways in which young people are addressed.
"When it comes to topics, we must provide all young people with knowledge about the basics of media literacy, the role of the media, the type of media, how to think critically and reason about them, to teach them that the media creates content from reality, that the audience interprets the meaning. That is what we should strive for," Andrijašević said.
According to him, the focus should be on social networks, because they are the closest and most important to young people. "Through social networks, we should talk about social networks or talk about some other things through examples of social networks," Andrijašević said.
He believes that media literacy needs to be improved through formal education as well, stating that secondary vocational schools must not be excluded from it, as well as that it should be considered that the subject of Media Literacy be introduced in elementary schools as well.
The director of the Media Institute of Montenegro, Olivera Nikolić, believes that the relationship between young people and the media is confused, stating that there is a big misunderstanding.
"For that, we have a great responsibility - and the creators of policies, media content, the civil sector. If we consider that these are future decision makers, people who want to get involved and contribute to the community, we are in a big problem, because we don't know what their habits are - what they listen to, watch, read, where they spend their time. The big problem is that we don't know the habits of young people when it comes to the media," said Nikolić.
She pointed to what is known, which is that traditional media is an abandoned category for young people, stating that they predominantly spend time on social networks. "This means that they spend time on content that someone serves them. This is a huge problem", believes Nikolić, assessing that there is a lack of research on the needs of young people, so that we can understand them.
She believes that media literacy, through the education system, is not enough.
"We need media literate users and content producers. When I think of content producers, I primarily mean politicians. If we don't have media-literate politicians, we can't have a media-literate society, because they are the ones who have a huge influence," said Nikolić.
During the discussion, which gathered around 60 participants, the importance of thoroughly educated people, who can be critical and analytical, was emphasized, as well as the need to guide young people to what values are.
High school students, who participated in the project, pointed out that the textbooks they study from are outdated and do not follow current trends when it comes to technology, and that they need to be made up-to-date.
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