ISSN: 2782-893X
eISSN: 2799-0664
ISSN: 2782- 893X
— In journalism, media literacy and critical thinking skills involve the ability to critically examine news sources, detect bias or false information, and reach well-informed conclusions based on context and supporting data. This study assessed the level of media literacy and critical thinking disposition among Grade 5 learners of Cawayan West Central School enrolled under the Special Program in Journalism (SPJ) for School year 2024-2025. The results of the study served as the basis for recommending an enhanced Special Program in Journalism aimed at developing effective strategies for preparing learners to deal with the complexities of the information age. Using a descriptive-correlational research design, data were gathered from five journalism teachers and thirty-five learners. An analysis of teacher demographic characteristics revealed that the respondents had an average age of 37, with two aged 31-40 and two aged 41-50; majority were female, three had units for a master’s degree and majority attended only five or fewer journalism related trainings and seminars. Twenty-three of the learner respondents aged 11-12, twenty-two identified as female, and that, a considerable proportion came from economically modest background, with 11 classified as low-income but not poor. Based on the findings of the status of the implementation of the Special Program in Journalism, the program is implemented at a “Fairly Satisfactory” level. It had strengths in curriculum design but notable challenges in resources, teaching strategies, and administrative support. The level of media literacy and critical thinking disposition of learners enrolled in the special program were both rated as “Satisfactory”. The learners demonstrated strengths in media consumption, open-mindedness, and truth-seeking but showed weaknesses in ethical judgment, evaluation, and independent reasoning. A significant negative correlation was found between the implementation of the Special Program in Journalism and learners’ media literacy and critical thinking. These results highlight the importance of integrating critical media production into the SPJ to foster deeper cognitive and civic competencies among learners. Keywords — Media Literacy, Critical Thinking, Special Program in Journalism, Descriptive-Correlational, Truth Seeking, Critical Prosumption