The Ukrainian Media and Communication Institute, with support from the United Nations Development Programme and funding from the Government of Japan, has prepared an analytical report titled ‘Integration of Media Literacy Components into Journalism Education Programs.’
The study was conducted between November 2024 and January 2025. During this time, the study team:
- Analyzed the journalism educational programs and syllabi for individual disciplines of 30 Ukrainian universities, based on the following parameters: a) the structure of courses within an educational program; b) the subjects of courses; c) the up-to-dateness of literature used for the courses; d) the duration of courses; d) the competences; e) the methods of working with students;
- processed responses from 69 online questionnaires submitted by heads of faculties/departments and teachers from 31 universities. The online survey covered the following topics: a) the content of training and teaching methods; b) the university policy regarding media literacy; c) educational resources and tools; d) efficiency of training; e) training of professors; e) key obstacles to effective implementation of media literacy into programs; e) vision of the future;
- conducted 15 in-depth semi-structured interviews with teachers and management of journalism faculties/departments;
- reviewed the practices of integrating media literacy and countering disinformation components into the educational process in Western universities, particularly in the US and Canada.
Before, in the summer of 2024, experts from the Ukrainian Media and Communication Institute, having analyzed Ukrainian media projects to counter disinformation, had concluded that the low level of media literacy and understanding of both domestic and global contexts for Ukrainian journalists often leads to the publication of materials that can play into the hands of Russian propaganda.
A systemic solution can be achieved by raising journalism education level and thus by working with journalism faculties and departments that train future journalists, believes Diana Dutsyk, Executive Director of UMCI.
This study is the first attempt to analyze the practices of integrating media literacy components into journalism educational programs at Ukrainian universities. The researchers hope that it will help identify key issues and formulate approaches to solving them.
You can download the analytical report in English here:
The analytical report was prepared within the framework of the project ‘Integration of Media Literacy into Journalism Education Programs,’ implemented by the NGO ‘Ukrainian Media and Communication Institute’ with support from the United Nations Development Programme and funding from the Government of Japan. The views expressed in the report do not necessarily reflect the position of UNDP, other UN agencies, or the Government of Japan.