Russian-Ukrainian war in the context of international media education (based on the materials of the new york times learning network)

Abstract

During a war, mass media often become the only source of information from the battlefield. Since their position determines how the war is perceived, it is essential to identify and popularize educational practices capable of transforming the mass media from a “mouthpiece of news” into an active educational force. Founded by The New York Times, The Learning Network uses the newspaper’s materials as a teaching tool. In January 2022, nearly a month before Russia’s full-scale military aggression in Ukraine started, The Learning Network began training the English-speaking teenage audience to tell the world the truth about the realities, causes and possible consequences of the Russian-Ukrainian war. The paper introduces various media educational practices of the network, emphasizing teaching about the ongoing war. It has been concluded that media education, combining teachers and mass media, can promptly create a didactically substantiated model of the educational process aimed at developing media literacy, critical thinking skills and lifelong learning.