Media Literacy Conference

Conference Agenda.

9:00-9:30 (30’)

Registration and welcome coffee

9:30-9:45 (15’)

Opening remarks
Michalis Rokas, Ambassador of the European Union to North Macedonia
Zoran Trajchevski, Director of Agency for Audio and Audiovisual Media Services of North Macedonia

9:45-10:45 (60’)

Panel 1

Social media platforms and (F)IMI: Part of the problem and part of the solution

As social media platforms have become increasingly important for access to information and civic discourse, they have also become spaces of information manipulation and FIMI diffusion, and the spread of illegal content. Regional civil society has been working on proposals to ‘translate’ EU’s flagship initiatives for fostering a more accountable and transparent digital space, most notably Digital Services Act (DSA) into the regional context. However, these attempts need further solidification and alignment across the region. This panel will focus on ways of achieving robust, regionally harmonized, whole-of-society and human-rights based approaches to addressing information manipulation, illegal content and other societal risks stemming from online platforms in the Western Balkans.

10:45-11:00 (15’)

Coffee break

11:00-12:00 (60’)

Panel 2

Gendered disinformation and digital hate

The Western Balkans is witnessing a surge in anti-gender and anti-LGBTIQ+ information manipulation and disinformation campaigns, impacting public opinion and hindering the democratization process in the region. These identity-based disinformation operations also pose a threat to the perception of the EU, embedding anti-Western narratives within the public discourse. Such operations foster hostility and polarization, while inciting hate speech and hate crimes. This panel will delve into the mechanisms of these information operations, examining how they reinforce discrimination, and discuss strategies for combating their harmful effects on society.

12:00-13:10 (70’)

Lunch

14:30-15:30 (60’)

Panel 3

Next Gen and Platforms:
Navigating Risks and Opportunities

Younger generation is being shaped by and is shaping the development of online platforms. This panel explores the dual nature of this relationship, examining the risks of life on platforms, such as privacy concerns, misinformation, and digital addiction, alongside the opportunities platforms offer for tailor-made content that responds to the interests and needs of the new generation. We will discuss ways of navigating and engaging with the digital landscape that are empowering for creators and audiences, including enhancement of media literacy of the next gen.

13:10-14:10 (60’)

Breakout sessions
(participants to register in advance)

Break out session 1:

Importance of institutional response to FIMI threats

Break out session 2:

Understanding and addressing science-related information manipulation

Break out session 3:

AI beyond chatbots: Sovereignty, capability building & a practical truth stack

Break out session 4:

To Prompt or Not to Prompt?

14:10-14:30 (20’)

Coffee break

15:30-15:45 (15’)

Inspirational speech: If Offense Uses AI, Defense Must Too – But As a System, Not a Single Oracle

15:45-16:00 (15’)

Conference closing

16:00-17:00 (60’)

Reception

Full agenda

Speakers...

Michalis Rokas

Ambassador of the European Union to the Republic of North Macedonia

Zoran Trajchevski

Director of the Agency for Audio and Audiovisual Media Services

Julian Ringhof

Policy and Case Handler Officer, Global Aspects of Digital Services, European Commission, Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology