As a representative of the NGO Mladiinfo Montenegro, together with my colleagues from Montenegro, I was a participant in Erasmus training aimed at raising the awareness of young people about media literacy, education about media reporting and raising awareness of real situations through dialogues with colleagues from other countries. The training was held in Perugia, Italy, from April 4-10, 2022.
Media literacy of young people and information through the media is a topic that gives both imposing and worrying conclusions. In a world where online advertising is accessible to every person, it is important to have a critical attitude towards the information that is placed and choose channels that share the information. As a young person who had the opportunity to work in the world of digital marketing, I saw for myself the weight of information placed on the Internet and that the speed with which it spreads increases every moment, so I am grateful for the experience and knowledge I gained at the seven-day “Media & Information Literacy” training held in Bastia Umbria, an authentic place just twenty minutes from Perugia, in April 2022.
The training consisted of an educational part with interactive games and guest lecturers, as well as a practical part that gave us the opportunity to attend the international journalism fair held every year in Perugia. In order to incorporate the knowledge gained during the lectures from the educational part, we had the task of conveying our impressions from the journalism fair, where we spent two days on panel discussions that covered all current topics in modern society, through the form of journalistic reporting. On the last day of the training, we had the opportunity to present our work and exchange opinions and ideas on how young people, on whom the world rests, can contribute to its preservation and improvement through media communication and help primarily local communities in the process of change, and then extend that influence to the global level.
In addition to the knowledge gained from the educational workshops, the stories of the participants from seven different countries and their experiences in working with young people and providing information through the media left a strong impression on me. Through the interaction, I came to the conclusion that all countries struggle with false and often disturbing news that influence the decisions of young people and that critical thinking is in deficit from the Balkans to Portugal. However, through socializing and working together on projects in international teams, I saw that there are young people who are aware of society’s shortcomings and are ready to make certain efforts to bring about positive changes, and this fact makes me extremely happy.
I hope that my experience will encourage more young people from my country to apply for one of the similar programs and take advantage of the opportunities provided by NGO Mladiinfo Montenegro, to whom I am grateful for the opportunity and the wonderful experience.