Scandinavian embassies host media literacy and education conference in Sofia

On March 27, 2025, an international conference and workshop on “Media Literacy – the Nordic Formula for a Sustainable Society”, organized by the Digital National Coalition, in cooperation with the Embassies of Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Norway, was held at the Toplocentrala, Sofia.

This event once again reminded us all of the importance of media literacy, which must be included in the education system. It is a set of different skills that every person must have in the 21st century to ensure a sustainable and democratic society. 

The recording of the forum is available on our Facebook page.

Organised with the support of the Nordic Council of Ministers, the conference coincided with the celebration of “Nordic Day” on 23 March, which marks more than six decades of close partnership between the Nordic countries. They have consistently topped global rankings in media literacy and have developed successful strategies for incorporating critical media skills into the education system. For this reason, their shared practices during the conference were of great importance, especially for us, Bulgarians, who have not yet developed our own successful plan towards a media-literate society.

The Ambassador of the Kingdom of Denmark in Bulgaria, H. Pr. Flemming Stender, opened the conference by stressing the key role of education in preparing students to navigate a complex and often misleading media landscape. “Media literacy is not just a technical skill – it is the foundation for informed and active citizenship. In the digital age in which we live, schools must play central role in teaching young people to think critically, evaluate sources, and engage responsibility in media” said Ambassador Stander. Other opening contributions were delivered by the partners of the conference: Nikola Barbutov, Deputy Mayor of Sofia, and Gergana Passy, President of the Digital National Alliance. 

The first two panels

The first panel, “Media Literacy and Disinformation”, explored the societal impact of disinformation and the need for early intervention through education. Keeping that in mind, Finnish journalist and author Jessikka Aro emphasized: “Media regulation, journalistic ethics and proper financing are the three main priorities” on the way to a media-educated community. Irina Nedeva from the Association of European Journalists – Bulgaria, Iglika Ivanova from the Ministry of Culture and Svetoslava Simeonova, UN Youth Delegate, also contributed to this panel.

Natalia Miteva, Ministry of Education, stated during the second panel, “Examples of Response and Cooperation for Media Literacy in Schools,” that “parents expect teachers to teach their children the necessary skills for using technology and for consuming information, but at the same time, to achieve these expectations, teachers themselves need to receive more training in this area“, which leads to misunderstandings. The other speakers, Lauri Palsa, University of Jyväskylä in Finland, Mathias Nimgaard, Centre for Digital Care for Youth in Denmark, Lyuba Yordanova, Teach for Bulgaria, and Isabela Traykova, National Network for Children in Bulgaria, also shared the Scandinavian and Bulgarian experiences in implementing media literacy directly in classrooms. One of the important clarifications from our Scandinavian guests was the fact that their practices have been developing since the 1970s and are still not at the desired level, so, according to them, there is no one right solution for the given challenge. This process is prolonged and unique for each country, but, in the end, all the effort is worth it.

Practical workshops for teachers and practitioners

The afternoon shifted focus to more practical training aimed at teachers, school leaders and education professionals who want to integrate media literacy into their teaching. The Scandinavian experts shared with the audience concrete tools and models that could be applicable in Bulgarian schools.

The first session, led by Valentina Papeikiene from The European Wergeland Centre in Norway and Lena Oden, Principal of Kunskapsskolan in Sweden, presented methods for integrating media literacy into everyday teaching – from critical media analysis to promoting respectful dialogue online. The second session, delivered by Mathias Nimgaard and Lauri Palsa, focused on digital youth engagement and strategies for fostering a safe digital environment in schools.

The information from the workshops prompted reflection on how Bulgarian teachers and institutions can adapt these tools at local and national level. The practical part highlighted the importance of preparing teachers and increasing their confidence when dealing with media literacy topics in class.

Participants from all over the country left with new ideas, strategies and opportunities, which means that the aim of the forum was achieved and hopefully the cooperation between Bulgaria and the Nordic countries in this field will continue in the future!

Credit: Galina Marinova

Stay tuned for more information and materials from the training sessions.