TLÜ ÕIS

Basic Course in Media Literacy Training: Journalism in the Age of Desinformation

Course code

FKI7004.FK

old course code

Course title in Estonian

Meedia õpetamise algkursus: ajakirjandus väärinformatsiooni ajastul

Course title in English

Basic Course in Media Literacy Training: Journalism in the Age of Desinformation

ECTS credits

6.0

Assessment form

Examination

lecturer of 2024/2025 Spring semester

Not opened for teaching. Click the study programme link below to see the nominal division schedule.

lecturer of 2025/2026 Autumn semester

Not opened for teaching. Click the study programme link below to see the nominal division schedule.

Course aims

Raise awareness of the functioning of the modern media, and create prerequisites for informed media consumption; create the conditions for media literacy training.

Brief description of the course

Fundamentals of media functioning. Global trends and the media landscape in Estonia. What determines media freedom and who determines the content? Media ownership and regulation: conventions, directives, laws and self-regulation. Censorship and self-censorship.

Media consumption: what and how do we consume? Media ethics. Public interest versus privacy. Confidential personal information. What are media objectivity and balance? What is the news value? How does the title come about? The using of photos.

How are we influenced (including visual influence)? Techniques and tools of media manipulation. Algorithms. Propaganda, demagogy. Media and elections. Hate speech and stereotyping. Information wars. New technologies for spreading false information, trolls. How to identify lies. Addressing sensitive issues in journalism: health, climate, the environment. Advertising and content marketing. Opportunities and threats of social media. Cyberbullying, false accounts and messages, use of photos and videos.
The course contributes to the development of digital competences for both teachers and students.
During the course, different learning methods will be introduced to support the development of competencies in media literacy training. The course will provide basic audiovisual knowledge and different digital learning materials will be created together.
The course includes the preparing and conducting of a media literacy lesson at basic schools and secondary schools or youth centers.

Learning outcomes in the course

Upon completing the course the student:
- acquires digital competencies that contribute to more informed media consumption and teaching;
- is aware of the general trends in media consumption and able to analyze their own and their students media consumption in this context;
- is familiar with the mechanisms of the media and the Estonian media landscape;
- is familiar with media (self)regulations and understand the functioning of the media economy;
- can critically evaluate media content, distinguish between facts and opinions; recognize biased information, influence and propaganda;
- can work with different data and information sources and know a variety of methods and tools to detect lies;
- understand the responsibility of creating and sharing media content and are able to behave safely in social media;
- can guide the creation of simpler audiovisual media and digital learning tools and link it to the creative, playful learning process;
- can conduct media literacy training courses.

Teacher

Katrin Saks, Katrin Sigijane

Additional information

Compulsory literature
Johanna Vehkoo (2021) “Valepaljastaja käsiraamat”, Menu
Valitud peatükid raamatutest:
“Eesti Digikultuuri manifest”(2020), koostanud I.Ibrus, Marek Tamm ja Katrin Tiidenberg, TLÜ Kirjastus
Andreas Hepp (2020) “Meediakultuur”, TLÜ Kirjastus
Raul Rebane (2019) ”Hirmust eduni “, Stratkom OÜ
Jessikka Aro ( 2020) “Putini trollid. Tõsilood Vene infosõja rindelt“, Rahva Raamat

Additional literature
(list of literature to be covered by the student during the lecture course):

David Buckingham ( 2019) “The Media Education Manifesto”, Polity Press
Ragne Kõuts-Klemm, Külliki Seppel (2018) “Juhatus meedia ja kommunikatsiooni teooriasse”, TÜ Kirjastus
Lauri Tankler, Eve Tisler (2020) “Meedia ja mõjutamine”, Maurus
“Learn to Discern. Media Literacy: Trainer´s Manual. IREX, 2019
Journalism, Fake News&Disinformation
Handbook for Journalism Education and Training, Unesco (2017)
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/igo/
Kadri Ugur, Priit Talv meediapädevust toetav materjal (2019)
https://oppekava.innove.ee/meediapadevust-toetav-valikkursus-inimene-kaasaegses-teabekeskkonnas/
Sonia Livingstone, Leslie Haddon, Anke Görzig and Kjartan Ólafsson
Children, Risk and Safety on the Internet: Research and Policy Challenges in Comparative Perspective
http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/33731/1/Risks%20and%20safety%20on%20the%20internet%28lsero%29.pdf

Study programmes containing that course