Podgorica, (MINA) – Montenegro needs citizens who are able to assess information not only in accordance with their beliefs, but who will also use critical thinking to question and control the given information, said professor Bozena Jelusic.
According to her, if there is one thing for which Montenegro could be a leader of in the region, than it is this small part of its school curriculum- media literacy as an optional school subject.
She reiterated that this subject was introduced into Montenegrin education system in 2007, when UNESCO adopted its Paris Declaration of Information and Media Literacy which is, she believes, a rare case of alignment of a domestic initiative with the global agenda.
Jelusic told Mina that it did not mean that media literacy in Montenegro was at a high level.
According to her, media literacy is important in the fight against fake news since it is inseparable from critical thinking and ability to question what is presented as the truth.
The Professor said that, following the 2016 US elections, fake news phenomenon has been observed as a global problem, and the European Commission has emphasized the key role of media literacy in preparing citizens for critical thinking, while information and media literacy is now on the list of competences necessary for the 21st century.
Jelusic said that the problem of fake news and pollution of media exists in Montenegro as well, and added that the subject of media literacy should also be introduced to elementary schools.
She said that last year she proposed to Minister of Education Damir Sehovic to introduce all students to this subject, adding however that she did not receive an answer.
Asked if the subject of media literacy was sufficiently covered in Montenegro, she said that this issue has been observed in terms of EU accession agenda, and that objectively few people care for media literacy of the nation.
This article was published with the financial support of the US Embassy available within the project “Rereading – Rewriting. Improving media literacy in Montenegro”. The Mina agency assumes full responsibility for its contents, which do not necessarily reflect the position of the USA. The article can be used with mandatory citing of its source.
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