Media Education as a Tool for Civic Empowerment: Critical Approaches of Youth in Kosovo Towards Online Disinformation

Session

Journalism, Media and Communication

Description

In the digital information era, young people face an extraordinarily high number of online sources daily. In this constant exposure, disinformation and fake news pose a serious challenge to democracy, public life, and particularly to how youth perceive social processes. This paper aims to analyze the level of media literacy among youth in Kosovo and the role this literacy plays in civic empowerment. Drawing on the Uses and Gratifications theory, the study examines how critical approaches influence the ability of Kosovar youth to detect disinformation and other forms of media disruption. The methodology combines a quantitative survey of young people (aged 16–30) with semi-structured interviews with media experts and educators, aiming to highlight the impact of online content on youth and their potential to protect themselves against disinformation. A review of relevant literature is also an essential part of this study. The findings indicate that youth with higher levels of media literacy are more inclined to challenge false narratives, demonstrating the importance of media education and the need for its integration into the national educational system.

Keywords:

media literacy, civic empowerment, youth, online disinformation, digital media, critical thinking, Kosovo

Proceedings Editor

Edmond Hajrizi

ISBN

978-9951-982-41-2

Location

UBT Lipjan, Kosovo

Start Date

25-10-2025 9:00 AM

End Date

26-10-2025 6:00 PM

DOI

10.33107/ubt-ic.2025.228

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Oct 25th, 9:00 AM Oct 26th, 6:00 PM

Media Education as a Tool for Civic Empowerment: Critical Approaches of Youth in Kosovo Towards Online Disinformation

UBT Lipjan, Kosovo

In the digital information era, young people face an extraordinarily high number of online sources daily. In this constant exposure, disinformation and fake news pose a serious challenge to democracy, public life, and particularly to how youth perceive social processes. This paper aims to analyze the level of media literacy among youth in Kosovo and the role this literacy plays in civic empowerment. Drawing on the Uses and Gratifications theory, the study examines how critical approaches influence the ability of Kosovar youth to detect disinformation and other forms of media disruption. The methodology combines a quantitative survey of young people (aged 16–30) with semi-structured interviews with media experts and educators, aiming to highlight the impact of online content on youth and their potential to protect themselves against disinformation. A review of relevant literature is also an essential part of this study. The findings indicate that youth with higher levels of media literacy are more inclined to challenge false narratives, demonstrating the importance of media education and the need for its integration into the national educational system.