A Fuzzy AHP and PCA Approach to the Role of Media in Improving Education and the Labor Market in the 21st Century

In a hyperproductive interactive environment, where speed and cost-effectiveness often overshadow accuracy, the media’s role is increasingly shifting towards an educational function, beyond its traditional informative and entertaining roles. This shift, particularly through the promotion of science and education, aims to bridge the gap between educational institutions and the labor market. In this context, the importance of 21st-century competencies—encompassing a broad range of knowledge and skills—becomes increasingly clear. Educational institutions are now expected to equip students with relevant, universally applicable, and market-competitive competencies. This paper proposes using a combination of principal component analysis (PCA) and fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) to rank 21st-century competencies developed throughout the educational process to improve the system. The highest-ranked competency identified is the ability to manage information—specifically, gathering and analyzing information from diverse sources. It has been shown that respondents who developed “soft skills” and media literacy during their studies are better able to critically assess content on social networks and distinguish between credible and false information. The significance of this work lies in its focus on the damaged credibility of online media caused by user-generated content and the rapid spread of unverified and fake news. Denying such discourse or erasing digital traces is therefore futile. Developing a critical approach to information is essential for consistently identifying fake news, doctored images, and recordings taken out of context, as well as preventing their spread.