Bitola, 27 October 2023 (MIA) – Media literacy is intellectual freedom, said MIA journalist Marjan Tanushevski at an event Friday held at Business Academy Smilevski as part of the fifth Media Literacy Days.

At an interactive meeting with students, professors and journalists, Tanushevski noted that if media literacy is the ability to access, analyze, value and convey messages through media, then it requires constant investment because it is threatened.

“It is good that we are publicly discussing media literacy, and it is also good that the Media Literacy Network was established, in which the Macedonian Media Information Agency – MIA is participating as well. But, we need to work daily to raise awareness about media literacy and especially to shake up the academic community which isn’t active enough, and isn’t sufficiently committed to media literacy. This can be further supplemented by a clear and unequivocal support by the Ministry of Education and Science for the establishment of a regular school subject on media literacy at all levels of education,” stressed Prof. Dr. Marjan Tanushevski.

A SWOT analysis of the current state of media literacy in the country noted several weaknesses, and identified frequent disinformation, fake profiles and Facebook influencers who contaminate the public opinion, as threats.

“The direct harmful influences on media literacy can be eliminated by supporting and motivating professional journalism. Unfortunately, journalists aren’t paid well, they have a lower standard, and consequently they rarely decide to focus on investigative journalism which is often under pressure. Some of the media decide to sell information, instead of conveying information, thereby failing to make a distinction between the public and commercial interest. However, the most important thing is for media literacy to be developed in collaboration with the institutions, and for the ‘infodemic’ to be tamed with skills and knowledge,” said Tanushevski.

This year’s Media Literacy Days are held under the motto "A Finger in Haste Makes Fake News Spread", and are supported by the Media Information Agency – MIA.

Photo: MIA