How do we define truth in a world shaped by algorithms, influencers, and AI-generated content? In a time when digital content spreads faster than ever, and when artificial intelligence plays an increasing role in shaping what we see, this session aimed to reflect on how education can help youth navigate complexity, question information, and make informed decisions.
Juliette Freysson Dugo, consultant in UNESCO’s Media and Information Literacy and Digital Competencies Unit, opened the discussion by underlining the importance of distinguishing between information, opinion, belief, and narrative.
Information: verified data, grounded in facts and reliable sources
Opinion: shaped by individual values, culture, and personal experiences
Belief: rooted in traditions, religions, and collective imaginaries
Narrative: broader storytelling that frames how we interpret the world
These distinctions, she argued, are key to helping students make sense of complex realities and engage meaningfully with the information they encounter online. While objectivity remains a professional ideal in journalism, information is always shaped by context. Whether coming from traditional media or digital platforms, what we know and how we know it, is influenced by context, values, priorities, and editorial choices.
In today’s digital landscape, the role of gatekeepers has diminished. Anyone can produce and share content, and algorithms often prioritize engagement and virality over accuracy. A viral post is not necessarily a truthful one. Understanding who creates content, for what purpose, and how emotional triggers are used to influence perception is essential. Students must therefore be equipped not only to identify credible sources, but also to reflect critically on the intentions and mechanisms behind the information they consume.
In this context, the challenge is no longer solely to determine what is true, but to cultivate the ability to question, reflect, and make informed decisions. Information is not neutral, it is constructed and circulated by individuals and systems, each carrying their own biases, intentions, and worldviews. Recognizing this complexity should not lead to cynicism, but rather to a more engaged and responsible approach to media literacy.
By helping young people distinguish between fact, opinion, belief, and narrative, and by empowering them to assess credibility in a noisy digital world, we are not just teaching skills, we are nurturing active, informed citizens.
To conclude her intervention, Juliette Freysson Dugo responded to questions from educators, highlighting the shared responsibility of navigating AI in education. She stressed the importance of first understanding how AI works, its biases, its cultural roots, and the way it is developed from humans. Before teaching students to critically engage with it, educators must help students question sources, understand algorithms, and assess credibility. While AI can support learning, it cannot replace the human connection that defines teaching. Juliette also underlined the need to involve families in these conversations: informed students can educate their parents, and vice versa. For her, media and information literacy must remain central in guiding how we approach AI in education.
In the second part of the Masterclass, Enrique Anarte Lazo, , reflected on the evolving role of journalism in a digital world where anyone can now share information instantly. He emphasized that being a journalist today is not just about access to information, but about upholding a set of values and providing context that helps people make sense of it. Content creators, often perceived as more relatable, have transformed how audiences, (especially younger generations) consume and trust information. Journalists, he argued, can learn from these new communicators, particularly in how they connect with their audiences and speak in a more personal, transparent way.
As he put it:
We journalists need to rethink our role in the current information ecosystem: how can we best serve people out there?
Rather than opposing content creators, he called for cooperation to rebuild trust and foster more informed societies. The discussion also highlighted growing concerns around the credibility of information in an era shaped by artificial intelligence and influence-driven content. While new technologies offer speed and accessibility, they also raise critical questions about accuracy, authorship, and trust. Journalism, as Enrique Anarte Lazo emphasized, remains grounded in values, context, and human judgment; qualities that cannot be fully replicated by machines. Navigating today’s media landscape means not only understanding how information is produced and shared, but also cultivating the ability to question, verify, and reflect.
During the Q&A session, several educators raised thoughtful concerns about the impact of artificial intelligence on journalism and the blurred lines between information and influence. While Enrique Anarte Lazo acknowledged that AI can summarize existing news content, he cautioned against viewing it as a substitute for journalism, which relies on verifying sources, conducting critical analysis, and understanding context—tasks AI cannot reliably perform. He also emphasized that content creation is not inherently commercial or manipulative; throughout history, even traditional media have shaped public opinion.
This masterclass made clear that in an evolving media ecosystem, it is no longer enough to consume information passively. Educators, students, and citizens alike must actively cultivate media and information literacy, develop a critical understanding of how content is produced and disseminated, and learn to engage responsibly with new tools—including AI. Only then we can ensure that technology serves truth, rather than distorting it.
This event was organized with the support of and the collaboration of
