“Media Literacy in the Era of Artificial Intelligence”; Media Literacy Week in Armenia

On November 4-10, Media Initiatives Center will lead the implementation of Media Literacy Week activities in Armenia. For the past seven years, the Media Initiatives Center has organized the event annually in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports.

 “We have consistently emphasized that media literacy is one of the most essential skills in today’s world. The foundation for change in the education sector lies in recognizing this critical need. There is no coincidence in defining media literacy as a key competence in the new standards of general education. This requirement is also included in the preschool education system. Media literacy is also now part of educational programs and various initiatives, many of which are collaborative,” said Minister of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports Zhanna Andreasyan during the event marking the beginning of Media Literacy Week. She also expressed gratitude for the quality partnerships involved.

“European Union is deeply committed to supporting media literacy work in Armenia. Our work here in Armenia is part of a broader EU commitment to fostering transparency and media literacy around the world. Armenia’s efforts to promote media literacy align well with the EU’s vision of an engaged and informed society’’, M. Frank Hess, Head of Cooperation at the Delegation of the European Union to Armenia

“As we reap the benefits of the digital age, we are also encountering a deluge of information manipulation on a daily basis. Being able to recognize and assess this manipulation has become an essential skill that we all need for navigating the complex information landscape and in our work towards ensuring informed civic engagement. It is for this reason that I take particular pride in USAID’s substantial contributions to advancing media and information literacy in Armenia. As a stellar example, over the past 16 months alone, the USAID-funded Media Program in Armenia has reached around 3,000 Armenians through media and information literacy events and activities”, Mr. John Allelo, Mission Director, USAID Armenia․

“It is never too soon and never too late to empower people to think not cynically but critically and creatively about AI and all media. We need an inquiry mindset to question the role we want new technologies to have in our lives”, Stephan Malerius, Head of Regional Programme Political Dialogue South Caucasus, Konrad Adenauer Foundation.

In the era of artificial intelligence, media literacy helps us detect fake news, discern information manipulation a, and practice media hygiene, including using social media responsibly and promoting healthier engagement. This year, the theme of Media Literacy Week in Armenia is “Media Literacy in the Era of Artificial Intelligence․” Media Literacy Week advances the global initiative established by UNESCO. During Media Literacy Week, panel discussions, master classes, forums, presentations of new resources, meetings, and training sessions will be organized at universities, schools, libraries, and other youth institutions in Yerevan and the regions.

Media Literacy Week is supported by the EU co-funded “Youth in Action: Youth Empowerment and Leadership Development in Armenia” and the USAID-funded Media Program in Armenia projects.

Media Literacy Week events, educational content, and posts are shared on social media with the specific hashtags #iammedialiterate, #medialiteracyweek2024.

Promotion and education of media literacy is one of the main priorities of the Media Initiatives Center. For 29 years, the Media Initiatives Center has helped children and young people better understand media by producing films and TV programs that promoted their critical thinking skills. Since 2011, the Media Initiatives Center’s systematic approach to media literacy – including delivering training in schools, developing educational resources, organizing Training of Trainers (ToT), integrating media literacy into secondary education, and cooperating with educational institutions and public media outlets – has positively impacted media literacy knowledge and skills among Armenia’s youth.

In 2017, Media Initiatives Center was awarded the Grand Prize of the GAPMIL Alliance, established under the auspices of UNESCO for significant achievements in the field of media literacy in Armenia and the region.

MIC’s media literacy resources – games, handbooks and lessons are available on Media.am.

The project “Youth in Action: Youth Empowerment and Leadership Development in Armenia” is a co-funded initiative by the European Union aimed at empowering and educating young people and youth organizations to actively participate in civic and public affairs in Armenia.  The project consortium, led by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in collaboration with World Vision Armenia (WVA), the Media Initiatives Center (MIC), and the Gyumri “Youth Initiative Centre” (YIC), is responsible for implementing the project.

Media Literacy Week is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)․