National trainers deliver a course on media literacy organized by the OSCE in Turkmenistan

An OSCE-organized training course on media literacy for representatives of Turkmenistan’s national media and state institutions of the National Human Rights Action Plan for 2021-2025 took place on 16 and 17 September 2025.

The training course was delivered by two national trainers who successfully completed a series of train-the-trainer courses on media literacy organized by the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat in 2024-2025. An international expert from Kazakhstan facilitated the event remotely.

The trainers introduced the concept of the media and information literacy focusing on the current trends in the modern media environment and five UNESCO laws of media and information literacy.

In his opening speech, William Leaf, Head of the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat referred to the Policy Manual “Spotlight on Artificial Intelligence and Freedom of Expression” published in 2021 by the Office of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media.

“The Manual highlights the importance of promoting awareness and digital literacy to empower individuals to better manage their own media consumption,” said Leaf.

“Earlier this year, the Centre organized the first training course delivered by three national trainers and we are proud to contribute to the creation of the pool of national experts on media literacy and the practical implementation of the media freedom-related provisions of the National Human Rights Action Plan for 2021-2025,” he added.

The training course also presented international and national legal frameworks related to media and information literacy and exposed participants to the instruments of media literacy and fact-checking. Participants explored the formats of fact-checking and work with Artificial Intelligence in state institutions. They also practised writing press releases with the use of AI tools and discussed the rights and responsibilities of social media users.