Motto: Education is not the learning of facts,
but the training of the mind to think.
(Albert Einstein, 1879-1955 )
In a society where information flows at breakneck speed and the boundaries between reality and manipulation are becoming blurred, media literacy can no longer be considered an optional extra. Finland is one of the few countries that understood early on that media literacy must be a national priority, a pillar of democracy and a fundamental tool for citizens' development.
The success of the Finnish model lies not only in well-thought-out policies or generous financial resources, but above all in the way media literacy has been organically integrated into education and everyday life.
One of the most impressive aspects of this model is its systemic character. Unlike in many other countries where media education remains a marginal project, dependent on local initiatives or the enthusiasm of individual teachers, in Finland it is a core element of the education system. From pre-school onwards, children are encouraged to explore the digital world critically, distinguish between different types of content and understand the importance of online responsibility. As they progress through the education system, their media skills become increasingly refined, being integrated into subjects ranging from mother tongue and social studies to math and science. This cross-curricular approach helps students to form a critical filter not only in relation to news and social media, but also in interpreting statistical data, graphs or other forms of visual communication.
This holistic vision was not built overnight. Finland has a long tradition in media education, and the evolution of the field reflects changes in society as a whole. In the 1950s and 1960s, the focus was on the impact of television and cinema on young people, with a rather protective approach. In the 1980s, with the advent of new forms of audiovisual communication, the focus began to shift towards analyzing media messages and understanding the influence of popular culture. Then, in the 1990s and 2000s, media literacy transformed from a concern limited to the education system into an integrated national strategy, targeting all segments of society.
The Finnish school model also succeeded in dismantling the old global assumptions that still underpin educational conventions today, namely that to learn you need to be informed, the more time children spend learning every day, the better they will learn, or the more homework children have, the more they learn, etc.
Even though the Finnish school model involves a conventional, teacher-led teaching system, children are more encouraged to work in pairs or groups where they can investigate phenomena or make videos, comics and even plays with what they are learning. The use of various digital apps and educational games is also encouraged.
In the Finnish school, learning is about understanding. What this means is actively constructing information so that students can apply the subject matter in practice and make connections between the information and their own experience. How is this done? First of all, the learner meditates on the subject, asks questions, analyzes, and explains it in their own words.[1]
Another key element of Finland's success is the collaboration between the state, the education sector and civil society. The National Audiovisual Institute, under the Ministry of Education and Culture, not only regulates audiovisual content, but also plays an active role in promoting media literacy. In parallel, NGOs, libraries and even private sector companies contribute to the development of educational projects. For example, the Finnish media does not limit itself to its traditional role as an information provider, but actively participates in shaping a responsible media culture. Programmes such as Media Literacy Week involve more than 40 organizations, including government institutions, media companies, telecom operators and NGOs, all working together to educate the public about misinformation and digital safety.
This broad collaboration makes media literacy not just a concern of students and teachers, but a responsibility of society as a whole. A remarkable initiative in this respect is "Youth Voice Editorial Board", a project in which young people are encouraged to create journalistic content and participate in public debates alongside professional journalists. Through this type of projects, young people not only learn to recognize manipulation and propaganda, but become producers of quality content themselves, contributing to a healthier media ecosystem.
The impact of this integrated approach is clearly reflected in Finnish society. International studies show that Finns are among the most resistant European citizens to misinformation, with a high level of trust in credible media sources and an advanced ability to spot fake news. This is no coincidence, but the result of decades of investment in education and coherent public policies. Unlike in other countries where the problem of misinformation is tackled by punitive measures or by blocking websites, Finland has chosen a more effective long-term strategy: training informed citizens who are able to use critical thinking to navigate the complexities of the digital environment.
Despite this success, challenges remain. Rapid digitization, the proliferation of content generated by artificial intelligence and phenomena such as deepfakeraises new challenges that require continuous adaptation of educational strategies. Media literacy must also go beyond the boundaries of the education system and reach adults and the elderly, who are often more vulnerable to misinformation.
The Finnish experience shows that media literacy cannot be a temporary or isolated project, but must be a constant effort, supported by clear public policies, inter-institutional collaboration and the involvement of the whole society. The Finnish model is not only an example of best practice, but also proof that media literacy can become a real tool to strengthen democracy and protect against manipulation.
In fact, the core idea of the Finnish curriculum is integrated learning, where the socio-constructivist approach emphasizes that learning is a social, interactive and collaborative process, and which places the learner at the centre as an active participant (subject). The future poses a challenge for the relationship between education and working life. We live in a world flooded with information, but about which we know little. But in a world where information can be as dangerous as the lack of it, continuous learning and critical thinking are the most powerful weapons we have.
By Diana Moraru, Digital Forensic Team expert and trainer in the "Media Literacy Booster" project
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This project was funded in part by a grant from United States Department of State. The opinions, findings and conclusions stated herein are those of the author[s] and do not necessarily reflect those of the United States Department of State
[1] Päivi Valtonen și Johanna Järvinen-Taubert, „Ce ar trebui să știe părinții despre procesul de învățare al copiilor lor: o perspectivă finlandeză” in Johanna Järvinen-Taubert et al. (ed.), ERI: Învățământul finlandez în practică: C, de ce și cum, București, Curtea Veche Publishing, 2024, pp. 253-257.
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