The Media and Digital Literacy Camp for Youth started today in Vitez, the first in a series of educational camps organized as part of the European Union’s project “Raising Awareness and Knowledge of Media Literacy Among Youth.” The goal of this project is to increase young people’s awareness of the importance of media and digital literacy and provide them with the necessary tools to effectively navigate the modern digital environment.
The camp gathered 18 participants from across Bosnia and Herzegovina, who will, over the next four days, gain knowledge in media, digital, and scientific literacy, fact-checking, and artificial intelligence through interactive workshops and practical exercises.
At the opening of the camp, attendees were addressed by Ferdinand Koenig, Spokesperson and Head of the Communications Section of the European Union in BiH, and Darko Brkan, Executive Director of UG “Zašto ne,” emphasizing the importance of critical thinking and media literacy in the digital age.
“The information environment is continuously evolving. Technological advancement is not slowing down—it will continue to evolve, transforming how we create and consume information. While these advancements bring numerous benefits, they also open space for spread of disinformation. In such an environment, mastering media and digital literacy has become essential. It has become crucial for citizens to have the skills to critically evaluate the content they consume as it directly influences the decisions they make in their lives. At the same time, people are not just consumers of information, they are creators too. Such power requires them to share and create content in a responsible manner,” stated Ferdinand Koenig.
Through a diverse program consisting of lectures, practical workshops and exercises, participants will have the opportunity to learn from the experts in communication, media and digital literacy, including Assoc. Prof. Dr. Lamija Silajdžić from the Department of Journalism/Communication of the University of Sarajevo Faculty of Political Sciences, Jelena Kalinić, biologist, science journalist and science communicator, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nasir Muftić from the University of Sarajevo Law Faculty, and Emir Zulejhić, Program Coordinator at UG “Zašto ne” and one of the co-founders of the fact-checking portal Raskrinkavanje.ba.
A special focus will be placed on fact-checking, assessing source credibility, and the practical application of digital tools for verifying information.
Darko Brkan, Executive Director of “Zašto ne,” highlighted the importance of educating young people in this field: “We are happy to have the opportunity once again to work with young people on media and digital literacy topics and to develop critical thinking together. We believe these are essential skills for building a strong and active society and a healthy democracy. In a time of low media accountability and the dominance of large online platforms, working to prevent the impact of disinformation and other harmful online content is crucial.”
