In the framework of the Project “Towards improved labour relations and professionalism in the Albanian Media”, supported by European Union, the Albanian Media Institute organized on November 21-23, 2018, the training course “Media literacy and ethical challenges in new media and online journalism”.
Participants included journalists from mainstream media in the country, media trainers, expert and lecturers of the Department of Journalism. Trainer of the course was Prof. Tapio Varis of University of Tampere, Finland. Prof. Varis is Principal Research Associate at UNESCO-UNEVOC International Centre for Technical and Vocational Education and Training, and member of the Governing Board of the UNESCO Institute for Information Technologies in Education.
During this course the participants learned about the main ethical challenges that new media and online journalism face today, against a background of increasing number of actors in massive information through internet. The significant spread of fake news, revival of hate speech, disinformation and conspiracy theories, and systematic violations of privacy are some of the challenges that journalism faces today. Media Literacy and Media Freedom: approaches by EU and UNESCO, conflicts and global focus, civilizational challenges; Multicultural communication and journalism: cultural and identity issues, international dimension; Global media and journalism: mainstream media, alternative media, social media, journalistic norms and ethics – were the main topics that prof. Varis discussed with participants. This was the first course in a series of training courses on current challenges of journalism that AMI will organize during this project.