Communication Studies Faculty Attend International Media Literacy Conference in Rome

The Head of the University Department of Communication Studies, Professor Danijel Labaš, alongside Professor Igor Kanižaj, Senior Assistant Leali Osmančević, PhD, and Teaching Assistant Hana Kilijan, participated from Thursday, June 4 to Saturday, June 6, 2026, in the sixth edition of the international scientific conference on media literacy, the "International Media Literacy Research Symposium," held at John Cabot University in Rome. The conference gathered more than 200 participants from all over the world.
 

Professor Labaš and Professor Kanižaj delivered a presentation titled "Digital Literacy as a Predictor of Children’s Trust and Concerns in the Online Environment." In the presentation, co-authored with Associate Professor Lana Ciboci Perša, they presented research results examining the correlation between the self-assessed digital literacy of Croatian children and their attitudes toward the digital future and digital rights.
 

The findings, gathered within the EU Kids Online network on a nationally representative sample of children aged 10 to 16, showed that various aspects of digital skills are linked to trust in digital rights, the perceived benefits of technology, and concerns over potential risks. They emphasized that the results highlight the importance of developing digital literacy as a foundation for children's active, informed, and responsible participation in a digital society.

Dr. Osmančević and Teaching Assistant Kilijan gave a presentation on the topic "Integrating Media Literacy into Theological Education: A Comparative Analysis of European University Curricula." They presented the results of a study analyzing the integration of media and digital literacy into theology and religious studies curricula at European universities, based on the growing impact of digital communication on theological education.
 

The results indicated that media literacy is generally underrepresented and inconsistent across curricula, most frequently being treated as an additional rather than a core competency. They highlighted the need for a more systematic integration of media and digital literacy to empower theology students to critically evaluate media content.
 

As part of the conference, Professor Kanižaj participated in the panel discussion "Media Literacy As Situated Processes: Contextualised Practices, Concrete Changes," which addressed examples of best practices in media literacy integration through various European perspectives, featuring examples from Portugal, the Netherlands, and Croatia. During the panel, Professor Kanižaj also presented the work of the Center for Media Literacy at the Catholic University of Croatia.
 

During their stay in Rome, the faculty members also visited the Dicastery for Communication, where they were received by the Vice Director of the Holy See Press Office, Sister Nina Benedikta Krapić, a member of the Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul (Province of the Mother of Good Counsel – Rijeka).

Sister Benedikta familiarized the faculty with the work of the Dicastery and the specifics of Church communication during the pontificate of Pope Leo XIV, while Professor Kanižaj introduced Sister Benedikta to the work of the CUC Center for Media Literacy. Additionally, the faculty visited the Croatian section of Vatican Radio, where editor Ariana Anić introduced them to the section's operations. They discussed future institutional cooperation and potential joint projects.