MCCM
RESILIENCE
OUR MEDIA
F.A.C.T.S. project sparked critical thinking and civic engagement among Albanian students.
The F.A.C.T.S. project, run by the Albanian Center for Quality Journalism (ACQJ) in cooperation with Qëndresa Qytetare, has aimed to strengthen media literacy and critical thinking among young people. Based in Tirana, ACQJ promotes investigative reporting and ethical media practices, and is actively involved in initiatives that challenge disinformation in Albania.
The F.A.C.T.S. initiative, implemented in Tirana and Durrës, carried out a series of engaging activities, including two public debates that brought together more than 80 young people from diverse backgrounds. The discussions explored key issues such as disinformation, the impact of algorithms, and the importance of verifying information sources. In addition, a two-day workshop for journalism students in Tirana equipped 11 participants with practical skills to identify misinformation, fact-check content, and uphold ethical reporting standards.
To extend its impact beyond in-person events, ACQJ produced and shared three short videos and a fact sheet that reached more than 200,000 people online. The organization also published three analytical articles and two podcasts featuring researchers and media analysts, who discussed how algorithms shape public discourse and how fact-checking continues to evolve.
Reflecting on the program’s outcomes, Roden Hoxha, Executive Director of ACQJ, noted:
“The biggest success of this program has been turning young people from passive news consumers into critical thinkers, as well as providing them with a platform for debate. By combining hands-on workshops, public debates, and powerful digital content, we believe we have planted the seeds of civic resilience against disinformation across regions of Albania.”
Through dialogue, education, and multimedia outreach, the F.A.C.T.S. project has helped foster a more critically engaged generation ready to challenge disinformation in Albania.
The project is funded through the Our Media sub-granting scheme, which has provided support to 21 local projects across the Western Balkans.
The regional program “Our Media: A civil society action to generate media literacy and activism, counter polarisation and promote dialogue” is implemented with the financial support of the European Union by partner organizations SEENPM, Albanian Media Institute, Mediacentar Sarajevo, Press Council of Kosovo, Montenegrin Media Institute, Macedonian Institute for Media, Novi Sad School of Journalism, Peace Institute and Bianet.
This article was produced with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of Mediacentar Sarajevo and SEENPM and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.
