"[...] Based on analysis conducted in six selected countries, this policy brief highlights current developments in the field of media literacy and suggests further developing of media literacy infrastructure to increase cognitive resilience and forms five prospects: media literacy as a matter of sec ... urity and multi-field cooperation; media literacy in cognitive warfare - monitoring and alert system; media literacy actors as a collective cognitive immunity system; revising the role of the journalistic community; future oriented media literacy - complexity and connectivity." (Introduction) more

"• A holistic approach is needed. Media literacy goes far beyond media, education and culture. It should become an essential part of everyday life, taking appropriate forms to attract, to connect and to activate responsible decision making. The recent trending issues are digitalisation (before 201 ... 3), focus on disinformation (and mixing it up with “fake news”) after 2016, as well as (dis)trust due to the influence of the Covid-19 pandemic after 2020. Today the focus is on how the issues related to data transparency, new gadgets and wearable technology, are changing the media landscape and media consumption. • Developing internal and external factors, related to media literacy, shows that some changes are here to stay. Adaptability to new agendas, tools, techniques is a must for the area. The challenges and known and emerging threats connected to media literacy emphasise the necessity for a holistic approach within a society. • Strategic strengthening of collaboration should be considered by the stakeholders. There is discord regarding who should do what, as functions in legislation and other regulating documents are very general. Clearly defined responsibilities for formal networking with clear timelines, as well as ad-hoc informal networking should be considered. • Financial sustainability and media literacy focused institutions. The media literacy initiatives are un26 derfunded by the state. It is mainly international donors who are setting the agenda. For instance, newly identified needs such as projects for marginalised parts of society or those tired from the news do not get the appropriate response from the community of media literacy actors. Those actors, who occasionally deliver projects on media literacy, are mostly busy with other projects. • Future-oriented media literacy. Behaviour prediction and redirection of the audience, connected to data collection and events, are topical issues for political and business purposes. The issue is connected to the emerging military technologies of influence (Kania, 2020; Tullis, 2019), means that activities related to increasing resilience and adaptability should continue. There is a need on a national level to encourage capacity building and informing media literacy stakeholders on prospective topics to be included. • While mentioning the external factors, some experts said media education should be considered essential without the need to connect to external actors, and to be part of any informed decision making centric and human centric process, taking it out of the political scope. • Solutions cannot be just Top-Down or Bottom-Up, as the skills and knowledge needed should be interconnected with issues relevant for the society. Motivation and engagement of the fragmented audiences, by promoting media literacy and quality journalism is essential for making a strong, responsible and sustainable country. There will be a growing need for very precise and different types of media literacy initiatives (in scope, format, and nature) in society. • Evidence based media literacy should be appropriately funded. The networking needed for increasing research should be considered a priority for cross-sectoral cooperation." (Concluding remarks, pages 25-26) more

"• A wide range of actors work in the media literacy field, but the lack of strategic policies and coordination creates inconsistencies and sometimes even collisions on the very definition of media literacy and approaches towards the development of media literacy. Future strategic policy documents ... have to take this into account and suggest a consistent approach among diverse actors. • Existing inconsistencies and insufficient coordination of activities should also be addressed by the donors and international organisations that have the capacity to encourage collaborations, and more active exchange of knowledge and best practices. It is also critical to elaborate and set up a mechanism for effective coordination of activities among the different media literacy actors. • Funding of media literacy projects and initiatives remains one of the biggest challenges. Ukrainian civil society organisations predominantly rely on financial support from foreign donors and international organisations. The government of Ukraine should create conditions to attract new actors that would provide financial assistance to media literacy initiatives. Suggesting incentives, including tax rebates, could stimulate businesses to get engaged in media literacy projects. • Development of media literacy policy, approaches and projects should be based on rigorous research of the audiences, both quantitative and qualitative. Both the government and donors should stimulate and support such research. NGOs and academic institutions should develop and design research projects that would help to understand the patterns of media consumption, perception of information and gaps in media literacy among Ukrainian citizens. • There is a need for a more effective monitoring and evaluation system in order to make relevant adjustments to the design of media literacy projects. This concerns both projects implemented by the NGOs and educational institutions. • Promotion of media literacy among a broad audience requires involvement of big TV channels and radio stations, local media, as well as the network of public broadcasting. While there is no consensus among different actors about the engagement of oligarch-owned media into media literacy efforts, the issue should be addressed and discussed by the key stakeholders. • As media education should be continuous, the government has to create appropriate conditions for this in the system of formal and informal education." (Conclusions, page 26) more