In a world where every second "news" is a trap, and every third "expert" is an instrument of influence, we no longer have the right to consume information without a filter. That is why on 7-8 April 2025, Ternopil hosted a two-day training course "STOPmanipulator" organised by the Academy of Ukrainian Press with the support of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom in Ukraine.
For two days, the participants - journalism students - immersed themselves in everything we see, read and... not always analyse every day.
The discussion focused on the impact of information on people, types of content, disinformation mechanisms, psychology of manipulation and digital hygiene.
Valeriy Ivanov, President of the Academy of Ukrainian Press, emphasised:
"The most dangerous thing is not fakes. These are fragments of the truth that are presented to the benefit of the manipulator. They do not sound suspicious. They sound plausible".
The training was not like a lecture - it was interactive: the participants analysed examples, played "Media Literate Mafia", collected news from "Lego", searched for disinformation "directors" and performed media vigilance exercises.
Yulia Kulyk, AUP project coordinator, emphasised:
"We don't teach to be afraid of the news - we teach to turn on the thinking. A manipulator has no power if you know how to expose him".
Particular attention was paid to confirmation bias, echo chamber, hate speech, and MIS-, DIS-, MALinformation - the three faces of modern lies.
Maksym Zaporozhchenko, manager of media education programmes at the AUP, said:
"During the trainings, we do not urge participants to check absolutely every news item or message, we develop skills that help them to “feel” manipulative influences on a subconscious level and teach them to be resilient in today's difficult world".
On the second day, we talked about influence techniques, "hooks", infodetection and the formation of media relations. And most importantly, we learned to be those who cannot be manipulated.
STOPmanipulator in Ternopil is a vaccination against information naivety. And the first step towards thinking for yourself - even in the noise of headlines.
