A way to build trust in the media: Social media movement now in Serbian

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MIL CLICKS is a new global movement on social media by UNESCO and partners. It is designed to make media and Information literacy a major force in daily online interaction of people. It is now available in the Serbian language.

MIL CLICKS is a new global movement on social media by UNESCO and partners. It is designed to make media and Information literacy a major force in daily online interaction of people.

Now available in the Serbian language, MIL CLICKS has also been launched in English and there is one regional version in Portuguese.

MIL CLICKS in Serbian is part of the EU-UNESCO funded project “Building Trust in Media in South East Europe and Turkey”. The project is, among other goals, aiming to increase public demand for quality media and empowering of citizens through media and information literacy (MIL).

Why is MIL important for building trust in media?

When citizens are empowered with MIL competencies (knowledge, skills and attitude), they are enabled to understand the role of professional and ethical journalism in a democratic society. At the same time, they are developing a critical approach to all information and media content. With these skills, citizens are able to make informed decisions in their everyday lives and their engagement with social media. 

Through the MIL CLICKS movement, citizens are exposed to MIL competencies in their normal day-to-day use of social media and the Internet. They learn about news fact-checking tools, resources to gauge media diversity, how to respond to hate content online, and how to interact with self-regulatory media and other information providers.

Over time, this will increase people’s ability and confidence to demand quality information and media, hold media and other information providers accountable and ultimately building trust .

Using MIL CLICKS to both learn and play

MIL CLICKS movement on social networks in the Serbian language will share knowledge, tips and resources on MIL. It includes channels on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

On these platforms, MIL CLICKS is engaging people to play, learn and use MIL skills, discover how to evaluate information and media content, and be able to identify credible sources of information.

Take a look at the MIL CLICKS video in Serbian and English.

How do people assess the verifiability of information?

The information people receive and seek shapes their decisions, choices, their behavior and ultimately their life. Still, even though many young people consider themselves being critical towards media content, research shows that the majority of them are not able assess the credibility of of media outlets that are transmitting particular news.

The veracity of media is are even less questioned if parents regard the information is truthful, according to the research Media literacy in Serbia.

For these reasons, the MIL CLICKS movement also targets adults as well as youth who are one of the most active groups using social media.

Join the movement of wise clicking!

“Are we clicking wisely?” asks UNESCO’s Programme Specialist Alton Grizzle, adding: “We are integrating learning, creating and engaging, so that people click critically and wisely.”

UNESCO and partners are calling on stakeholders in South East Europe to take an active role in MIL CLICKS.

MIL CLICKS in Serbian is being implemented by Media Education Center (MEC) and South East European Network for Professionalization of Media (SEENPM), together with other partners in the region. It is carried out in the framework of the EU-UNESCO funded Project “Building Trust in Media in South East Europe and Turkey.