"media education is the key to understanding the modern information society": Interview with Prof. Dr. Alexander Fedorov

Abstract

On September 24, 2019 Professor Alexander Fedorov received the honorary international award "Global Media and Information Literacy-2019" (UNESCO, 2019)/ He is the first person from Russia, who became the winner in this international nomination. This award, which was established with UNESCO's participation, rewards information and media professionals, media culture researchers, educators, artists, activists, associations and other groups that integrate media and information literacy in their work and related activities in an innovative manner. These awards are given annually, with UNESCO's support, to individuals and organizations for outstanding achievements and leadership in five sectors: education, research, policy, advocacy, media, communication/information. A. Fedorov told about many years of media literacy teaching at the universities, about research works in the field of media culture and media literacy education, which has been repeatedly supported by grants from Russian Science Foundation, Russian Foundation for Basic Research, Russian Humanities Research Foundation, the Presidential Funds, which finance leading scientific schools in Russia and projects of national importance in the field of culture and art, and grants from the Federal Targeted Program, Russian Ministry of Education and Science, a number of foreign funds. He is firmly convinced that media literacy education is the key to understanding the modern information society: Today, a person is simply obliged to be media-competent, otherwise he or she will not only become an easy victim of numerous media manipulations, but will not be able to fully enter the differentiated world of media culture.