"Fake news" arrices in Požarevac high school

How to recognize disinformation? Who to trust on the Internet? What distinguishes professional media from content spread on social networks? Students of the Požarevac Gymnasium will be able to find answers to these questions through the interactive exhibition “Media literacy against fake news”, which was opened by the Press Council on 8 June2026.

The exhibition is intended for high school students and is designed as an educational tool that helps young people develop a critical attitude towards the information they encounter daily in the digital environment. Through a series of interesting and interactive content, students can learn how fake news is created, how to check the accuracy of information and how to protect themselves from manipulation and abuse on the Internet.

On the occasion of the exhibition, the principal of the Požarevac Gymnasium, Dušica Cvetković, emphasized that media literacy is one of the key skills of modern society and added: “At a time when we are exposed to a large amount of information on a daily basis, it is important for our students to learn to think critically, check sources and use media content responsibly. As a school, we strive to develop young people’s ability to recognize reliable information, but also awareness of the importance of responsible communication in the digital environment. Investing in media literacy is an investment in educated, informed and responsible citizens of the future.”

From the conversations with the students, it is clear that the exhibition attracted their attention and encouraged a debate on the importance and ways to improve media literacy.

Student Jovan Mateja Todorovic pointed out that it is crucial to be critical and added: “It is important not to believe everything we hear and read. Personally, when I am interested in some information, I always try to check it from several sources.”

Student Petar Jovanovic said that the only measure that can be taken is to “check” the source: “It is crucial to ‘check’ the media we use as much as possible, not to follow only one medium, one source. Often, several stories are formed around an event, certain messages are sent indirectly. For example, there may be a story about how a girl fell into a pit by some accident, so some media will go for sensationalism and certain messages such as ‘A Serbian woman fell into a pit’ or ‘Why did a Serbian woman fall into a German pit?’. These are all traps that we have to recognize.”

This traveling exhibition visits high schools throughout Serbia, and was prepared by the Press Council with the support of UNESCO and the European Union. The content of the exhibition is aligned with the curriculum of the subject “Language, Media and Culture”, so teachers use it as an additional material for the development of media literacy in students.

Since the beginning of the realization, the exhibition has been seen by more than 8,700 high school students from different parts of Serbia. All content is also available online on the website of the Press Council, which allows students and teachers to use them even after the completion of the exhibition at school.

News about the exhibition, students’ impressions and information about upcoming visits can also be followed via the Instagram page https://www.instagram.com/laznevestiizlozba .

The Press Council is a self-regulatory body that monitors compliance with the Code of Conduct of Journalists of Serbia and decides on citizens’ complaints about content published in print and online media. Through projects such as this exhibition, the Press Council strives to develop young people’s critical thinking skills, responsible use of the media and recognition of reliable sources of information.