Breaking: Campus Correspondents Program Over?

On the morning of January 29, the 14 student members of the Campus Correspondents Program at AUBG received surprising news. As a result of the newly inaugurated U.S. President Donald Trump’s ban on all foreign aid for the next 90 days, an order was given for the program to be shut down effective immediately.

 

The Campus Correspondents Program was established in AUBG in the 2024 spring semester in collaboration with the Poynter Institute’s Media Wise program and AUBG’s Center for Information, Democracy and Citizenship (CIDC). The program was funded through a U.S. State Department grant. It centered on peer-to-peer media literacy training with AUBG students delivering 45-minute workshops in high schools all over Bulgaria.

 

The Correspondents created presentations using different materials on media literacy and fake news to teach their peers how to identify and deal with the spread of misinformation and disinformation. The program originated in the U.S. and was brought to Bulgaria because the country has some of the lowest media literacy rates in the EU.

 

The initiative was led by AUBG Professors Darina Sarelska and Laura Kelly.

 

 

When asked about her immediate reaction to the news, Prof. Sarelska compared the feeling to a “punch in the stomach.” She elaborated that this has been a project she was very passionate about, given the great importance of media literacy. “It was a mix of disappointment and frustration because the program was just starting to pick up,” she said.

 

The Campus Correspondents were selected through an application process, trained, and paid for each presentation they conducted. Since the program began, they have conducted 62 trainings in Bulgaria including high schools in Sofia, Stara Zagora, and Burgas. In addition to these trainings, the CCs also created a TikTok channel and a masterclass video about media literacy.

 

Oltian Isufi, a fourth-year student at AUBG, was part of the Campus Correspondence Program. He shared that what initially motivated him to join the program was his interest in media literacy and the opportunity to travel around Bulgaria and explore the country.

 

Oltian explained that he found the cancellation of the program as unexpected but not surprising. He expressed his disappointment, saying, “I had already done a set of workshops, which I really enjoyed, and was actually really excited for the one that was supposed to happen in three weeks.”

 

Radoslav Stanimirov, a fourth-year student at AUBG, also took part in the program. He described his experience as enjoyable and fulfilling. “I remember entering my first class feeling that students are looking up to me as someone who is credible. And I remember it was a great feeling,” he said. “It is really powerful as they see someone close to their age who is more educated than them on a certain topic and can inspire them.”

 

Prof. Sarelska said she hopes there is a possibility for the program to be developed without the funding of the US. “My personal anticipation is for this funding to never be brought back to the program, but that doesn't mean that the program should stop. I mean, they can only pull the plug on the funding, but not on our initiatives.”