On May 16, 2025, the “Media Scholar” workshop was held at the Petro Mohyla Black Sea National University within the framework of the EU Erasmus+ project 101082696-PROMENT under the “Tutoring of First-Year Students” program.

The event for students-tutors of group 146 of the Faculty of Philology was organized and conducted by students-tutors of group 346, Maria Tomashevska and Ulyana Kolycheva. The tutoring session was dedicated to the topical topic: “Propaganda and manipulation in modern life”, which is aimed at developing media literacy and critical thinking among students.

The event became another important step in shaping the information consciousness of the modern generation, which is daily confronted with a huge flow of messages, not all of which are reliable.

The main goal of the event is to develop information and media literacy of first-year students, as well as critical thinking skills, working with media messages, the ability to distinguish types of manipulation in the media, etc. The meeting was built in the format of live communication, teamwork, active discussion, and collective understanding of the processes that are taking place in the information sphere today.

Participants had the opportunity to delve deeper into the nature of the concepts of “propaganda” and “manipulation”, to understand the difference between them, how they manifest themselves in the media space, and why it is so important to be able to recognize them.

The workshop focused on the functioning of the media in times of war and social crisis. Participants discussed how audience behavior changes under the influence of deliberate information pressure, what methods are most often used to manipulate citizens’ minds, and why information security is no less important than physical security.

Students showed interest in the topic, actively shared their own observations, reflected on the role of influencers in shaping public opinion, discussed the difficulties in distinguishing true information from fakes. They also expressed opinions about the influence of modern media on human consciousness, especially young people, and the need for a critical approach to information consumption.

This meeting provided an opportunity not only to gain new knowledge, reflect on one’s own information habits, and acquire skills in media hygiene. The first-year students concluded that being media literate is not only about the ability to “read between the lines”, but also about responsibility: for oneself, for loved ones, and for society as a whole. At the end, the participants shared their impressions. Many of them noted that the event became a real center of discoveries and team interaction, helped to better understand the nature of information influences, and once again emphasized the importance of the ability not only to receive information, but also to consciously analyze it. Each participant received knowledge, new useful skills, and motivation for the next relevant and interesting meetings with student tutors.

We thank the first-year students for their interest in the workshop and active participation in it, and to Maria Tomashevska and Ulyana Kolycheva for creating a space of trust, support, and cooperation in the university environment!