OSCE Mission in Kosovo launches media literacy campaign

In response to the proliferation of fake news and misinformation related to the COVID-19 pandemic, on 8 June 2021, the OSCE Mission in Kosovo launched a one-month media literacy campaign aimed at youth.

Through animated video spots shared on social media and broadcast on TV, the Mission will promote the development of skills and knowledge required to deconstruct media messages, understand context, and justify opinion with sound arguments.

In addition, the campaign includes a media literacy quiz to assess the public’s ability to seek credible sources, identify bias and understand the basics of media.

“We want young people to know how to identify and avoid spreading fake news and misinformation, and how to report fake news when they see it. We aim to equip them with skills to spot illicit reporting, share those skills with friends and family, and step in when false information is reported,” said Michael Davenport, Head of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo.

“My hope is that our efforts will help to nurture educated and media literate young people to go beyond the theory and take concrete steps to verify the information they see in the media,” he added.

The campaign will empower the public with the knowledge and skills needed to navigate the online environment safely and critically. It will also underscore the importance of seeking accurate sources, consuming and sharing online content with due consideration, and strengthen the ability to analyse information when engaging with media.

The campaign complements previous Mission efforts to build resilience against the emerging challenges posed by a digital media environment, including misinformation, online safety, conspiracy theories and fake news.

The campaign video spots are available here:

https://bit.ly/3grimae (Albanian)

https://bit.ly/3gm1zWc (Serbian)