The rise of digital media contributes to fake news and disinformation being circulated on a larger scale and pace. The central aim of the work is to consider the potentials of individuals to actively respond to disinformation and fake news. In that regard, the authors rely on Archer’s theoretical framework of reflexivity and its modes. It is argued that a specific mode of reflexivity, namely meta-reflexivity, can enable people to take a critical distance towards media messaging. The method involves the Reflexivity Measurement Tool (RMT) to provide an approximate assessment of one’s reflexivity in terms of quantitative scores. The survey has been conducted in Slovenia on a representative national sample and path analysis is applied to identify the relationship between demographic features, media exposure, reflexivity and fact-checking. The results show how age and education affect media preferences, in terms of how frequently an individual is exposed to a particular type of media. Younger people, women and persons with tertiary education are more meta-reflexive, which contributes to their active response to disinformation. It is concluded that meta-reflexivity is essential but not sufficient to produce an active response of individuals to disinformation. Need for professional fact-checking-services and media education is discussed. El avance digital contribuye a que las noticias falsas y la desinformación aumenten en número y ritmo. El objetivo central de este trabajo es considerar el poder de las personas para responder activamente a la desinformación y noticias falsas. Para ello, los autores se basan en Archer, específicamente su propuesta teórica relacionada con la reflexividad y sus modos. Argumentamos que un modo específico de reflexividad, la meta-reflexividad, permite distanciarse críticamente de los mensajes de los medios de comunicación. El método consiste en el uso de la Herramienta de Medición de la Reflexividad (HMR) para proporcionar una evaluación aproximada de la propia reflexividad en términos de puntuaciones cuantitativas. La encuesta se ha realizado en Eslovenia sobre una muestra nacional representativa y se ha aplicado un análisis de la trayectoria para determinar la relación entre las características demográficas, la exposición a los medios de comunicación, la reflexividad y la verificación de los hechos. Los resultados muestran que la edad y la educación afectan las preferencias relacionadas con los medios, medidos en base a la frecuencia de exposición a un tipo particular de medio. Los jóvenes, las mujeres y las personas con educación terciaria son más meta-reflexivos, lo cual contribuye a que tengan una respuesta activa a la desinformación. Se concluye que la meta-reflexividad es necesaria pero no suficiente para producir una respuesta activa de los sujetos a los mensajes de los medios de comunicación. Finalmente se menciona la necesidad de tener servicios profesionales de verificación, además de programas de educación mediática.

In this article we make an attempt to examine the relationship between knowledge society and perception of uncertainty both at conceptual as well as empirical level. The discussion is placed in the context of late modernity. The more optimistic views see in the knowledge society the possibility for progress, higher quality and safety of life. Other reflections draw attention also to different crisis-related tendencies and stress the possibility of generating uncertainty as a possible side effect of a developed knowledge society. We observe two trends that appear with the development of a knowledge society: the perception of existing certainty increases, but at the same time we can also see the increase of a desire for and openness to greater uncertainty in a society. Using qualitative comparative analysis we find that developed knowledge society is a sufficient condition for greater openness to uncertainty.

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In Slovenia, the concept of media literacy has been integrated into the formal education system, including early childhood education. The Preschool Curriculum sets certain goals to be followed in educating preschoolchildren on media-related topics. Research done in other Member States of the EU points to the conclusion that the actual implementation and delivery of media education is both fragmented and inconsistent as well asdependent on the interests and motivation of individual preschool teachers. They are the ones who, in accordance with their professional capacity and autonomy, include the goals set in the curriculum into an actuallearning process in preschools, also determining the timing and manner of this. The aim of this article is to review, compare, and analyse the data from recent research on the media education of preschool children in Slovenia in order to better understand how preschool teachers in Slovenia assess their capacity to work with media as well as their media literacy levels, which media they use, and how the media education is conductedin the groups of preschool children.

Th e aim of this research was to explore media exposure of preschool children (1 -6 years old) and outline demographic factors aff ecting it. Th e data show that media exposure of children in kindergartens is low. Parents, however, report much more diverse media habits of their preschoolers in their home environments. Even though the daily average media exposure of preschoolers in Slovenia does not deviate much from the recommended one, a group of children called large media users is identifi ed. Understanding specifi c features of large media users can inform the development of early childhood educational programs and projects intended to raise awareness and educate parents and children about media, which are currently still a rarity in Central and Eastern Europe.