The Faculty of Philosophy in Zenica marked World Press Freedom Day and opened the student exhibition "Visual Expressions of Freedom: From Caricatures to Memes"

Organized by the Department of Culture and Tourism of the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Zenica, the celebration of World Press Freedom Day was held through an educational and interdisciplinary program.

The program was opened by the dean of the Faculty of Philosophy, prof. Ph.D. Alica Arnaut, emphasizing the importance of academic initiatives in promoting freedom of thought and expression, especially among young people. The introductory presentation on the global and local context of media freedom was held by prof. Ph.D. Damir Kukić, full professor of communication and media, who spoke about the challenges of free journalism, political pressures and the ever-present misinformation in the digital space.

Velida Kulenović, a long-time journalist and president of the Association of BH Journalists, spoke about the practical aspects of the fight for freedom of expression from the perspective of journalists, who underlined the importance of solidarity and institutional support for the journalistic profession. Adnadin Jašarević, director of the Zenica City Museum, journalist and cartoonist, also made a special contribution, highlighting in his lecture the power of visual communication in times of general media glut.

The central part of the event was the student exhibition "Visual Expressions of Freedom: From Caricature to Meme", the result of several months of research and practical work by Cultural Studies students. Through subjects like Archival studies, Digital Humanities, New media and Museums, archives and libraries in the information society, students analyzed the role of caricatures in the wartime editions of the newspaper Liberation, collected and interpreted memes from social networks, and developed creative and educational approaches to the presentation of visual content.

Organizers from the Department of Culture and Tourism emphasized that the main goal of the project was to encourage young people to gain a deeper understanding of media freedom and the importance of their own involvement in its protection. The project was realized with the support of the Association of BH Journalists and the City Library of Zenica.

The exhibition, which attracted the attention of numerous visitors, is also available online at the following link: https://turizamikultura.ba/vizuelni-izrazi-slobode-od-karikature-do-mema/