In April, 10-13, 2017, the Academy of Ukrainian Press with the support of DW Akademie conducted the 4-day workshop on preparation of media literacy trainers in Odesa.
Tetiana Ivanova, trainer, media expert, Doctor of Education, professor, leading partner of the Academy of Ukrainian Press conducted the first training session for the future media literacy trainers. Communication was held in a creative and interactive form with pictures, presentations, team work. Participants received valuable advice showing that it is necessary to ensure live communication in the audience, address the participants, divide the group. Besides that, the coach mentioned that knowledge of communication psychology, specificity of getting the information, manipulation techniques and effective learning is obligatory for conducting the workshops. Participants discovered about the role of interactive methods in the process of holding media literacy workshops and the personality of a coach.
On the second day, Artem Babak, coach on fact checking, editor, fact checker in StopFake project who also deals with anti corruption investigations, worked with participants, gave them a toolkit for verifying information, showed the basic fake creation development points and countering this phenomenon in Ukraine and in the world.
The third day of future media literacy trainers’ activity in Odesa was dedicated to cultivating the skills of critical thinking under the guidance of the coach, Olena Taranenko, Chairman of Journalism Department, V. Stus Donetsk National University. Having analyzed the examples of manipulations and propaganda messages in current war of concepts delivered through media, participants looked into complex but extraordinary interesting techniques of decoding information from television. Bright examples were taken from news programs of leading Ukrainian TV channels dedicated to the situation in Avdiyivka, prepared at the beginning of February, 2017. Their comparison demonstrated both the dependence of concepts on the channel policy, its owner and editorial strategy, the codes of value reference forming for the audience, manipulation with symbols, emotions and summing up.
On the last day, Serhii Shturkhetskyi, media trainer, journalist, lecturer at ‘Ostrozka Academiia’ National University worked with future media literacy trainers. ‘Refrain’ questions concerning the information security (media hygiene) rules were asked. Together with the coach, extremely creative group of participants managed to make some important conclusions. First and foremost, every person has to prepare one’s own information security protocol. One should decide what to do during the trolling attack in social media, while finding out fake information, etc. So, to prepare such rules and such protocol, one should certainly know techniques of making untrue information and fake accounts in social media.
Deutsche Welle Academy is Germany’s leading organization for international media development. Consultants and coaches have been supporting free and independent media since 1965. The organization offers intercultural and professional media training workshops, programs and internship for future journalists. DW has also prepared the Master’s degree program ‘International Media Studies’ that combines the disciplines of media and development, journalism, communication studies and media management.
