First Name: Wissal
Last Name: Cheraitia
Country: Algeria
Education Level: Master’s degree in Institutional Communication from the National Higher School of Journalism and Information Sciences (Ensjsi ) Algiers, Algeria
Project Focus: Media Literacy | Digital Resilience | Children’s Education | Parent Engagement | Teacher Development | Digital Transformation | Safe Digital Communities
I am a media literacy professional working at the intersection of media and education. I help children aged 8 to 14 navigate the challenges of fake news and digital content by transforming media literacy education into fun and engaging learning experiences that enable them to recognize misinformation and stay safe while navigating the digital world.
As children spend more time online, they are increasingly exposed to fake news, misinformation, and misleading digital content.
The challenge I address is the lack of accessible and engaging media literacy education that equips children to critically evaluate the information they encounter online.
In Algeria, this problem affects children aged 8 to 14 because they are active internet users, while many parents and schools lack the digital skills and tools needed to guide them effectively. In Algeria, 84% of children use the internet every day, yet 58.5% of parents lack the digital skills required to support them online.
As digital media continues to shape how young people learn and interact, children are becoming increasingly vulnerable to misinformation and online manipulation.
Through the MENA Impact Women programme, I developed the concept, positioning, and three-year development plan for Umayiz, a proposed media literacy education platform designed to help children make sense of online information and recognise fake news so they can navigate the digital world more safely.
The concept is built around three complementary pathways: interactive media literacy workshops for children, awareness and guidance for parents, and training and educational resources for teachers and schools.
Its proposed added value lies in taking a whole-community approach to media literacy, creating the basis for children, parents, and educators to strengthen critical thinking beyond the classroom and across everyday digital life.
This project matters today because children are spending more time online than ever before.
At the same time, public access to artificial intelligence is expanding rapidly, making it easier to create and spread convincing fake news and misleading content. More than ever, children need the ability to make sense of the information they encounter online before accepting it as true.
Without these skills, they risk becoming passive consumers rather than informed thinkers.
Umayiz responds to this challenge by teaching children how to think, not what to think. By engaging parents and educators alongside children, the platform strengthens the entire learning ecosystem.
Investing in media literacy today means investing in a generation that is better prepared for the digital world of tomorrow.
About Me
I am Wissal Cheraitia, a media literacy professional from Algeria with experience in media literacy, education, and youth engagement.
My work focuses on transforming educational ideas into practical solutions that address emerging digital challenges.
Through my participation in the MENA Impact Women programme, I developed the concept of Umayiz, a media literacy education platform that connects my professional expertise with the growing need to prepare children for an increasingly complex digital world.
I believe that education is one of the most powerful tools for social change. By teaching children how to think rather than what to think, we can raise a generation that is better equipped to navigate digital communities safely and responsibly.
Member of the MENA Impact Women Expert Network
Wissal Cheraitia is a member of the MENA Impact Women Expert Network, a regional network of women professionals, researchers and practitioners contributing expertise to research, strategic empowerment and initiatives that transform girls’ and women’s capabilities into opportunities across the MENA region.
Partnerships, collaborations, consulting assignments, research initiatives, training programmes and funded projects involving network members are coordinated through MENA Impact Women to ensure quality, contextual relevance, strategic alignment and collective impact.
For partnerships, collaborations and professional enquiries:
editor@menaimpactwomen.org