Hanna Herehiieva is the Research Fellow at NAMLE
What do you do?
Back in Ukraine, I am a Chief Operations Officer of the NGO “Enlightening Initiative” — a national non-governmental organization that does various projects for youth development, including media literacy, and is now an eligible Partner of the United Nations OCHA UHF. In Ukraine, I am engaged with the coordination of youth-centered research projects about education, media literacy, social entrepreneurship etc. Previously, I co-coordinated a national project about critical thinking during Ukrainian presidential elections and was a team-leader of an international ERASMUS+ project about media literacy in Germany and Ukraine. Right now, I am a fellow of Community Engagement Exchange, a program for civil society leaders sponsored by the U.S. Department of State. As a part of my fellowship, I am doing an internship in NAMLE.
What is your latest work or project in media literacy?
I participated in a research of Kyiv School of Economics about membership model relevance for Ukrainian media. This research was based on experience of leading foreign media and had a practical application for Ukrainian media platforms in general. Now, I am managing an online media platform about opportunities for Ukrainian youth where, among other things, we discuss media education and opportunities in this field.
Why is media literacy important to you?
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in Ukraine started, it is important for Ukrainians, especially older generations, to be able to think critically and distinguish fake and real news. Fake news about defeat of the Ukrainian army, high treason etc. can be disseminated within the Ukrainian population, in order to ensue doubt and make Ukrainians less united on our way to victory. For this reason I am planning to promote media literacy education within Ukrainian youth upon my arrival home through educational projects.
What are you most excited about in the media literacy field?
Media literacy is developing at a very fast pace, and there is always something to learn. It is crucial to stay media literate in the modern world, which is full of information, and think critically when facing new pieces of information. It is always a process of mastering your skills and educating others, which is challenging but fascinating.
Why did you become a NAMLE member, what benefits do you see to membership, and how will it support your work?
NAMLE provides a great opportunity to connect to the network of educators and researchers in the media literacy field, stay updated with news, and creates a unique platform for like-minded people in this sphere.
The views and opinions expressed in the M-Passioned Member blog are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of NAMLE or its members. The purpose of the M-Passioned Member blog is to highlight our members and give them a place to share their reflections, opinions, and ideas.