"Freedom of expression and media development in Eastern Europe, South-East and the South Caucasus" is a new project launched by the Independent Journalism Center (IJC), focused on an important segment for Moldovan citizens - media literacy. The project includes a series of practical activities as various interactive presentations, expert meetings and training sessions with media experts, professional journalists, university lecturers and students from different universities of the country, promoting media literacy, as a tool that encourages correct information and counter manipulation.
Thus, several lecturers, representatives of Moldova universities from Chisinau, Balti, Cahul, Comrat together with media literacy experts from Georgia and Ukraine will participatse in an expert meeting to examine the need and importance of introducing a media literacy module in university programs and how to achieve it.
A group of professors and students from the journalism departments in the country will participate in a training program where they will get acquainted with the concept of media literacy and will learn how to deliver thematic presentations about a responsible and professional press for pupils in ten high schools in Moldova.
Also, media experts and experienced journalists will develop case studies that will analyze how media outlets cover different topics, through the observance of the Code of Ethics and professional principles of quality journalism.
The analyses on media literacy issues, case studies and other materials prepared by the project beneficiaries will be published in a special section on the multifunctional web portal for journalists – Media Azi and the public will be invited to inform itself and to differentiate the aacurate information from a manipulative one.
IJC mentions that between April 2014-2015, journalists from Radio Free Europe and IJC team met with over 600 pupils and students in order to discuss about the role of media and the importance of accurate information to exclude the of risk being manipulated.
The Freedom of Speech and Media Development in Eastern and South Eastern Europe and the South Caucasus project is implemented by IJC, between May-November 2015, supported by DW Akademie and financed by the Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (Germany).