Between 2021 and 2025, the Sillamäe Society for Child Welfare developed a continuous series of media and information literacy programmes aimed at strengthening critical thinking, democratic participation and community resilience in Estonia. The programmes responded to the rapidly changing information environment and to the growing influence of disinformation, propaganda, social media algorithms, online polarisation and manipulative digital content.
Over five years, the initiative developed from basic media-awareness and source-evaluation activities into a broader educational platform combining media literacy with civic education, digital safety, community journalism and societal resilience. Participants learned how to assess the reliability of information, distinguish facts from opinions, recognise misleading narratives, understand emotional and visual manipulation, use fact-checking tools and communicate responsibly in digital spaces. As technology evolved, the programmes increasingly addressed artificial intelligence, deepfakes, algorithmic influence, digital ethics and the responsible use of emerging media tools.
The programmes primarily involved young people, teachers, youth workers, journalists, civil society organisations, community leaders and representatives of public institutions. Particular attention was given to Russian-speaking and multilingual communities in Ida-Viru County, Harju County and Tartu, as well as to groups that may have more limited access to reliable information and media education. The activities created opportunities for dialogue between different linguistic, cultural and generational groups and supported the development of a more inclusive and shared information space.
Programme activities included practical training courses, media-literacy summer schools, expert discussions, public debates, study visits, workshops, simulations, digital campaigns, community-journalism activities and international conferences. Participants were encouraged not only to consume information more critically, but also to become responsible content creators by producing articles, interviews, podcasts, videos, visual materials and social media content.
An important element of the programmes was cooperation between civil society, educational institutions, journalists, researchers, public authorities and international experts. This allowed theoretical knowledge to be connected with practical cases from everyday media use, elections, crisis communication and community life.
By 2025, the programme had expanded its focus to community journalism, digital activism, artificial intelligence, information manipulation and democratic resilience. The 2025 activities directly engaged 429 participants and reached an estimated audience of more than 250,000 people through educational materials, websites, social media, radio coverage and partner networks.
The 2021–2025 programmes established a strong foundation for SSCW’s continuing work in media literacy, responsible digital participation and community resilience. They demonstrated that media literacy is not only the ability to recognise false information, but also the capacity to participate thoughtfully, ethically and confidently in democratic society.