Throughout the year 2020 the academics of Faculty of Communication at Vilnius University will partner in implementing the Media Literacy in the Baltics Program funded by the US Department of State.
In cooperation with IREX (International Research & Exchanges Board), the globally operating development and education organization, the Faculty of Communication will, among other activities, develop and integrate the study subject “Journalism in the Era of Disinformation”, prepare and organize seminars for students and schoolchildren. The seminars will be dedicated to development of critical thinking and responsible media use. The methodology of the seminars will integrate the latest research-based „Learn to Discern“ approach, emphasizing not only the practical application of knowledge but also the dissemination of skills: seminar participants will be encouraged to become informal „Learn to Discern“ instructors in their communities. The method, which is easily adaptable to the local cultural environment and media landscape, has already been tested in Ukraine, Serbia, Jordan, Tunisia, Indonesia and the USA. Learn to Discern has been featured in the New York Times, Washington Post, Christian Science Monitor, CNN, Columbia Journalism Review, Journal of Media Literacy Education (PDF, 836 KB), NPR, Slate, and other media outlets.
Cooperation with IREX and the implementation of applied projects such as the Media Literacy in the Baltics Program increase the internationality of study programs at the Faculty of Communication and strengthen the Faculty's reputation as a center for communication and information research and knowledge transfer.