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.

Rural area sustainable development represents one of the main aspects of prosperity, enabling countries to strengthen their economy, improve living conditions, and create new opportunities for growth. Different criteria from the areas of economic sustainability, infrastructure and access to services, community participation and resource management, geographical location, and social sustainability were determined, and three appropriate multi-criteria decision-making methods were applied; the most significant sub-criteria for rural area development were diversification of the economy, connection with urban areas, and innovations in agriculture and tourism. Also, rankings of sub-criteria were performed, and the similarity of the rankings was checked, making the fuzzy AHP algorithms suitable for estimating the influence of factors on rural areas development. Based on the results obtained, some strategies of underdeveloped area economic growth and sustainable development were presented.

The result of accelerated development and technological progress is manifested through numerous changes in the labor market, primarily concerning the competencies of future employees. Many of those competencies have symmetrical character. The determinants that may influence the development of specific competencies are variable and dynamic, yet they share the characteristic of transcending temporal and spatial boundaries. In this paper we propose the use of a combination of Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (FAHP) to rank 21st-century competencies that are developed independently of the formal educational process. Ability to organize and plan, appreciation of diversity and multiculturalism, and ability to solve problems appeared to be the highest-ranked competencies. The development of key competencies is symmetrical to the skills for the labor market. Also, the development of key competencies is symmetrical to the right selection of the quality of media content. The paper proves that the development of key competencies is symmetrical to the level of education of both parents. One of the key findings is that participants with higher levels of media literacy express more readiness for the contemporary labor market. Moreover, the family, particularly parents, exerts a highly significant positive influence on the development of 21st-century competencies. Parents with higher levels of education, in particular, provide a stimulating environment for learning, foster critical thinking, and encourage the exploration of diverse domains of knowledge.

The study addresses the research gap concerning the role of traditional media and social networks in the promotion and perceived preservation of Serbia’s material and intangible cultural heritage, with particular emphasis on digitalization and digital infrastructure. The study is based on a survey of 323 respondents and an expert panel of three experts. Linear regression and fuzzy multi-criteria decision-making methods are combined to identify and prioritize factors relevant to cultural heritage promotion and preservation. FAHP is employed to account for the subjectivity, uncertainty, and imprecision inherent in expert judgments when assessing the relative importance of qualitative and digitalization-related factors, while the analysis of different optimism-index values enables the stability of expert priorities to be examined under varying levels of uncertainty. The results indicate that digitalization and the implementation of modern technologies within strategic planning frameworks are perceived as highly important. In the AHP analysis, YouTube received the highest weight (0.2655), followed by Instagram and Facebook (0.1557 each). Across the FAHP scenarios, YouTube consistently ranked first, followed by Instagram and Facebook, while the relative ordering of the main sub-criteria remained stable across different optimism-index values. These findings reflect respondents’ perceptions and experts’ relative priorities rather than direct evidence of causal preservation effects or statistical significance. The results may inform cultural heritage management and digital transformation initiatives by highlighting perceived priorities for the use of digital media, while providing a basis for further research.

Due to favourable natural conditions, the inhabitants of the municipality of Štrpce were engaged in agriculture, livestock breeding and fruit growing for decades. Although to a lesser extent, interest in agriculture is still present today, with slight variations in the type of crops being grown. In recent years, there has been an expansion of raspberry growing and beekeeping, segments that have proven to be extremely profitable. The aim of this paper is to highlight the importance of agriculture in the overall sustainable economic development of the municipality of Štrpce and inhabitants individually. Based on the field research, the authors will suggest improvement of this industry, especially in the field of organic production. If the predictions are true, this will be crucial for the existence and well-being of people in this region.