Abstract
The purpose of this study is to assess the impact of training in countering fake news on the development of professional competencies among journalism students. This research provides a structured pedagogical framework for teaching fact-checking and critical thinking. Using a quasi-experimental design at Toraighyrov University (n=190), the study compared an experimental group (EG) with a control group (CG) across three phases: diagnostic, instructional, and evaluative. Results from the 2024 final testing demonstrate significant efficacy: the EG showed a 64% increase in critical thinking, news analysis, fact-checking, vastly outperforming the 11% growth in the CG. Qualitative data further confirmed a marked reduction in trust toward unverified sources. These findings offer a scalable model for journalism education, proving that targeted instructional interventions are highly effective for developing professional competencies in media content evaluation.