MELIA Observatory – Media Literacy Observatory for Active Citizenship and Sustainable Democracy
Project Focus
The MELIA Observatory project establishes a media literacy observatory in the Danube region, aiming to strengthen civic competencies and thereby contribute to the development of democracy. The primary target groups are youth (primary and secondary school students) and educators. Within the framework of the project, instruments for media content analysis, learning tools, and policy recommendations have been developed to enhance media literacy and related civic skills.
Short Project Description
The MELIA Observatory project aims to establish a media literacy observatory in the Danube region, based on the inclusion of all relevant stakeholders. The observatory will serve as a mechanism for strengthening civic competencies, thereby contributing to the development of democracy in the region. The primary target groups are youth (primary and secondary school students) and those who work with them (educators). Within the project, we will develop instruments for media content analysis, learning tools, and policy recommendations to upgrade media literacy in connection with other civic skills. The project consortium consists of twenty-three partners (sixteen project partners and seven associated partners) from fifteen countries.
You can contact us via email at: melia@fuds.si.
Latest News
Publication of a Scientific Work within the MELIA Observatory Project
A new scientific publication titled “Media Literacy, Media Education and Democracy in Central and Eastern Europe” has been released as part of the MELIA Observatory. The publication explores key themes of media literacy, media education, and their impact on democratic processes in Central and Eastern Europe.
We invite everyone to explore the publication here: https://www.peterlang.com/document/1459215. The book will also be available for loan at our library shortly.
View all materials
Aktualno:
1. MELIA Observatory Project Steering Committee Meeting
The MELIA Observatory project, funded by the Danube Transnational Programme, hosted its first Steering Committee meeting on September 29 and 30. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the meeting was organized online.
During the first Steering Committee meeting, discussions were focused on the progress of the thematic work packages. On the first day, topics essential for project implementation were addressed, such as the project overview and objectives, the responsibilities of each partner, and financial matters and obligations.
The second day was dedicated to substantive content, including the mapping of media literacy in the Danube region, the development of the observatory interface, media literacy training networks, pilot studies, and the importance of communication between project partners, target groups, and the general public. In conclusion, the partnership discussed the organization and preparation of the Kick-off event scheduled for October 22, 2020, as one of the most important milestones of the MELIA Observatory project intended for stakeholders.
Tukaj je prevod celotnega poročila o obeh srečanjih, prilagojen akademskemu in administrativnemu slogu, ki se uporablja v okviru projektov Interreg:
2. MELIA Observatory Project Kick-off Meeting
On Thursday, October 22, 2020, SASS, acting as the lead organizer alongside an international consortium of partners, hosted the kick-off meeting for the project “Media Literacy Observatory for Active Citizenship and Sustainable Democracy” (MELIA Observatory). Due to the current epidemiological situation, the event was held entirely via the ZOOM online platform in English and was chaired by Prof. Dr. Matevž Tomšič, the lead partner of the project.
The second part of the meeting highlighted the following four sections:
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“Strategic Relevance of the Danube Region Project”: Claudia Singer explained the significance and relevance of the project within the EU Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR), specifically how project results can contribute to the implementation of the strategy.
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“The Importance of Media Literacy for Youth”: Mateja Rek emphasized the importance of media literacy for every age group, while Robert Čoban provided an insight into the media history of Serbia over the past 30 years.
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“The Use of Artificial Intelligence in Media Messaging Analysis”: Ferenc Tolner addressed the participants regarding the fundamentals of Natural Language Processing (NLP) within the field of Artificial Intelligence.
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“Civic Education in Schools – Experiences from Different EU Member States”: Konrad Sziedat explained the historical significance of political education for youth in Germany, while Christa Prusskij provided insights into civic education in Finland. The experts cautioned that this topic should never be addressed in purely general terms, as the complexity of the phenomenon requires approaches specific to both the country and the individual.
The kick-off meeting concluded with a nearly hour-long round table discussion on populism and the communication styles practiced by populist politicians. The discussion featured Matevž Tomšič, Nikolai Genov, Bojan Bugarič, and Ladislav Cabada. The speakers agreed that the issue of populism must be addressed in a deep and differentiated manner, taking into account the specifics of individual manifestations of the phenomenon.