Media Initiatives and Partnerships Support Activity – Annual Program Performance Report Y1

The program is sponsored by USAID/Serbia and is implemented by Propulsion. The program's overall goal is to help Serbian citizens safely and smartly navigate a complex media and information landscape, becoming better informed and more capable of participating in modern economic, social, and political life. The program has four specific objectives: Media and Information Literacy (MIL), Digital Literacy (DIL), Research (RES), and Rights and Responsibilities (R&R). The MIL objective aims to improve critical thinking skills related to MIL through increasing awareness and knowledge about key media and information literacy issues and concepts. The DIL objective focuses on increasing target groups' capabilities to critically assess digital content and communicate safely and responsibly in the digital sphere. The RES objective aims to enlarge the body of public knowledge and understanding of key media, digital, and information-related issues and trends. The R&R objective seeks to foster cross-sectoral partnerships among citizens, government, corporate, and civil society actors to advance dialogue and engagement on digital rights and responsibilities. In Year 1, the program achieved several goals, including establishing a long-term prominent position in the national/local MDIL stakeholder and expert network. The program also mainstreamed the concepts and topics of media, information, and digital literacy, as well as digital rights and responsibilities, among various audiences, especially the general public and youth. Additionally, the program boosted wider public dialogue on critical thinking and other current vital skills of citizens and other specific groups. The program worked with various stakeholders and partners, including CeSID, IPSOS, the Ministry of Culture and Information, the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technological Development, and the National Academy for Public Administration. These partners faced various challenges, such as insufficient data on MDIL skill levels, underdeveloped critical thinking skills, and susceptibility to media manipulation and misleading information. The program addressed these challenges through various activities, including research, capacity and compliance assessment, data collection, and program and outreach inputs. The program also implemented several initiatives, including the Influence Academy, which supported a group of social media influencers to incorporate basic MDIL principles in their everyday work and disseminate its values to their fanbase. Additionally, the program developed educational MIL materials and formats for different target groups, encouraged grassroots MIL initiatives, and implemented media strategies. The program's progress was measured through various indicators, including the MIPS MIL Index, which measures the level of media and information literacy among different target groups. The program also conducted research to determine the baseline levels of MDIL skills among different target groups and measure programmatic and societal progress. Overall, the Media Initiatives and Partnerships Support Activity made significant progress in Year 1, achieving its goals and objectives and laying the foundation for future success. The program's work with various stakeholders and partners has helped to improve media and information literacy in Serbia, and its initiatives have contributed to a more informed and engaged citizenry.