A Day Dedicated to Media Literacy and Digital Resilience
On October 30, 2024, experts, educators, and activists from across the Baltic region gathered at the K.K. fon Stricka Villa in Riga for Baltic Media and Information Literacy (MIL) Day. The event organized by the Baltic Centre for Media Excellence served as a vital platform for sharing strategies to build a media-literate society that is resilient to disinformation and equipped for digital participation.
Opening Remarks and Keynote on Media Welfare
The day began with opening remarks from Gunta Sloga, Executive Director of the Baltic Centre for Media Excellence, who emphasized the need for a collective mission to create a media-aware society in the Baltic region. Anne Leppäjärvi’s keynote, titled "Fighting for a Media Welfare State", introduced the concept of the Media Welfare State, advocating for high media literacy, citizen media rights, and inclusive representation in media discussions. She highlighted the critical role of media systems in safeguarding democratic values in a polarized age.
Community-Led Media Literacy Initiatives
A session on community-based media literacy initiatives showcased projects from Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania under the “Resilient Baltics” project. Irina Shlick from the Jewish Community of Estonia presented the Media Club in Tallinn, which strengthens Jewish identity while enhancing media literacy skills among youth, including identifying misinformation and promoting social media activism.
Alina Hachetlova presented the work of New East, a Latvian cultural institute focused on engaging seniors through practical digital skills programs like the Skills Lab. This initiative bridges the generational digital divide, fostering connections between younger and older participants while ensuring that seniors are included in media literacy education.
Paulius Andruškevičius from the Šiauliai County Povilas Višinskis Public Library in Lithuania introduced their Media Club for library specialists, which trains educators in digital literacy and content creation. This project aims to build a sustainable network of media literacy educators across regional libraries.
Panel Discussion: The Role of Communities in Media Literacy
A panel discussion titled "The Role of Communities in Teaching Media and Information Literacy" brought together diverse voices to explore how local communities can support and promote media literacy. Moderated by Gunta Sloga, the panel featured experts including Zane Matesoviča from the British Council in Latvia, Jorens Dobkevičs of New East, Linas Skirius from Civic Resilience Initiative in Lithuania, and Irina Shlick from the Jewish Community of Estonia. The panelists discussed the importance of empowering communities to take an active role in media literacy education, emphasizing that locally-led initiatives can significantly strengthen resilience against disinformation. The discussion highlighted successful examples of community engagement and underscored the need for ongoing collaboration between civic organizations and educational institutions.
Networking Workshop on Collaboration
Maja Nenadovic facilitated a collaborative workshop titled "How to Make Successful Collaboration Among Baltic Media Literacy Implementers?" Participants engaged in group discussions to address shared challenges, such as policy support and public engagement, and developed collaborative solutions to strengthen media resilience. This workshop fostered a forward-thinking approach, encouraging partnerships across sectors to address common media literacy obstacles.
Understanding and Navigating AI in Media
Lukas Keraitis, a Lithuanian science communicator, led an engaging session on the potential and challenges of generative AI in content creation. Demonstrating tools like DALL-E and ChatGPT, Keraitis explored how these technologies are reshaping media and the ethical implications of AI in content generation. He stressed the importance of including critical engagement with AI in media literacy frameworks to help society assess and verify AI-generated content effectively.
Latvia’s Strategy Against Disinformation
Rihards Bambals from Latvia’s Strategic Communication Coordination Department shared an in-depth analysis of disinformation threats in the country, outlining governmental strategies including citizen reporting platforms and media literacy handbooks to build resilience against propaganda. Bambals emphasized that combating disinformation requires a collective, cross-sectoral effort involving the public, private, and academic sectors.
Empowering Future Generations to Navigate AI
Laure Delmoly from CLEMI (France’s Media and Information Literacy Center) presented on empowering students in the age of generative AI. Her approach emphasized training students to critically analyze AI-generated content, understand the algorithms behind AI, and identify biases. By embedding media literacy into education, Delmoly advocates for a digitally savvy generation capable of responsibly navigating a rapidly evolving AI landscape.
Mental Health in the Digital World
Estonian mental health expert Annika Räim led a workshop titled “Sanity in the Era of Madness?” focusing on the mental health impacts of digital information overload. Participants learned techniques to manage emotional fatigue caused by the constant flow of information and misinformation. Räim’s session underscored the importance of mental resilience in media literacy, encouraging individuals to balance media consumption with well-being.
Closing and Next Steps for a Resilient Media Landscape
Baltic MIL Day concluded with a networking session where participants reflected on insights shared throughout the day and discussed potential future collaborations. The event reinforced the importance of cross-border partnerships in building a resilient, media-literate Baltic region. As the digital landscape grows increasingly complex, events like Baltic MIL Day are essential for equipping individuals and communities with the tools to critically engage with media.
This year’s event highlighted the power of unity in addressing media literacy and disinformation challenges. In an era of information overload, fostering a media-literate society is key to empowering individuals to navigate media with integrity and resilience.
Author: Agnese Ēķe-Cēsniece
Photo: BCME
This article was created in partnership with our partner Baltic Center for Media Excellence
