Media Education Training: „In-depth analysis connects when we ask what makes the information we consume valuable”

The Independent Journalism Center (IJC) has enhanced the media competencies of 21 high school teachers through a new Media Education training, held on April 4–6, 2025, in Chisinau. The course trainers were Loretta Handrabura and Natalia Grîu, co-authors of the updated Media Education curriculum and textbook for grades 10 and 11.

The training was based on the curriculum for the high school Media Education subject, as well as the updated version of the Media Education textbook, printed in 2024. The textbook includes QR codes and new concepts such as virtual autism, cheapfake, film critic, cyberflashing, disinformation, malicious disinformation, unintentional disinformation, doxing, war propaganda, virtual reality, augmented reality, vidding etc. It also introduces new examples of news and references to the cuMinte podcast – produced by Mediacritica since 2020 to counter disinformation. All the updates to the textbook are intended to help students better understand what media education is, develop their critical thinking skills, and consume information responsibly. A digital version of the Media Education textbooks, still being finalized, was also presented during the training and will be available for use starting in the 2025–2026 academic year.

Mariana Tabuncic, program manager at IJC, highlighted the crucial role media education plays in developing an informed society. „We all live in a huge informational space, with various types of content – valuable, credible, worthless, of questionable quality, or false. Therefore, to cope with this large volume of information, we need media education knowledge. This means that every piece of information we consume must be questioned, to avoid becoming a target of disinformation. We hope you will leave this training with the confidence that what you’ve learned is valuable, first and foremost for yourselves, and secondly, that this content will be useful for your students,” said Mariana Tabuncic.

The training program allowed teachers to strengthen their media education competencies using the updated content of the high school Media Education textbook. Through various practical activities, they explored innovative teaching methods and ways to integrate media resources into the educational process. The training also analyzed the impact of media education on youth and examined strategies to stimulate critical thinking among students.

Topics discussed included the diversity of information, developing critical thinking through media message analysis, and understanding media influence on consumers. Other topics addressed were deepfakes, propaganda, manipulation, disinformation, and how these phenomena affect our ability to make informed decisions. Online violence, trolling, influencers, ethical behavior in digital spaces, and risks in the virtual environment were also focal points for participants.

„Today, media education is a meta-competency from which many others derive. We consume a lot of information, both consciously and unconsciously. The issue isn’t access to information, but our ability to critically analyze it. Therefore, media education is about critically analyzing everything we read, watch, and listen to. In-depth analysis connects when we read with a pencil in hand, take notes of key ideas, and ask ourselves what makes the information we consume valuable. Your role as teachers is to teach students how to learn,” mentioned the trainer Natalia Grîu.

“Even if we remain anchored in real life, we can no longer ignore the virtual dimension of our existence. The digital world has become an inherent part of the reality we live in, and within this space, beyond opportunities, we also face numerous challenges and uncertainties. These difficulties are not only social or personal. They’ve rapidly extended into other essential fields such as finance, services, and information security. In today’s context, traditional knowledge is no longer enough to cope with the increasingly intense information flow. We must constantly adapt, update our skills, and develop critical thinking to navigate this ever-changing digital reality with safety and discernment,” added the trainer Loretta Handrabura.

In addition to theoretical and practical sessions, participants explored a series of tools and resources useful for teaching media education, provided by IJC to support the implementation of the optional Media Education course in schools.

At the end of the training, the teachers shared reflections and impressions of their knowledge, expressing their belief that they had discovered valuable information and practical tools to use in their teaching.

Liubovi Cucovici, a teacher at Mihail Sadoveanu Theoretical High School in Fîrlădeni village, Căușeni district, believes that “media education develops competencies for any person, regardless of age.” “Students and adults lack sufficient knowledge to ensure their safety online. The virtual space influences how children think today, and we are obliged to help them navigate it safely,” she said.

Nadejda Albu, a teacher at Varnița Theoretical High School in Anenii Noi district, said that she “is going home being convinced to teach the Media Education course,” while Ciorici Elena, a teacher at Alexei Mateevici Theoretical High School in Șoldănești town, assured that she “will share the information with her colleagues, as well as with parents and students.”

Liudmila Botnariuc, a teacher at Vasile Suhomlinschi Theoretical High School, stated that “today, we must be able to critically analyze the information we consume,” while Parascovia Mîndrescu, a teacher at Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra Theoretical High School in Chișinău, believes that „the Media Education course should be mandatory, considering how useful and necessary the content is.”

To date, IJC has trained 253 primary school teachers, 246 gymnasium teachers, and 298 high school teachers. The optional Media Education course has been taught in schools in the Republic of Moldova since 2017, being included in the national curriculum by the Ministry of Education and Research of the Republic of Moldova at all three education levels – primary, gymnasium, and high school. IJC has developed the curriculum and textbooks for Media Education, which are offered free of charge to teachers and students.

This activity is part of the project supported by Sweden “Media Literacy Advancement and Support to Moldovan Media” and implemented by Internews, which aims to contribute towards the growth of a diverse, independent and financially viable media landscape in Moldova, and to empower Moldovan youth to navigate their complex information environment.