NextGen MediaWatch

The project focuses on addressing the issue of fake news and disinformation in the digital age, particularly among young people who are highly engaged on social media. With events like the COVID-19 pandemic and the Ukraine conflict fueling the spread of false information, young individuals in the European Union are especially vulnerable due to their limited media literacy and critical thinking skills. The project aims to equip youth workers with the tools and knowledge to help young people identify and combat fake news, which can impact their mental well-being, political views, and even economic decisions. The overarching goal is to promote media literacy and critical thinking to safeguard the younger generation from the harmful effects of misinformation.
 

OBJECTIVES: 

• Instruct youth workers on how to define fake news and equip them with the necessary tools to differentiate between authentic and false information
• Enlighten youth workers about the significance of sourcing information from reliable outlets and how to discern credible from untrustworthy sources.
• Advocate for a robust understanding of media and information literacy among youth workers, inspiring them to scrutinize all content that they encounter online and on social platforms.
• Enable youth workers to integrate their newfound expertise into their professional activities by designing fresh initiatives and programs aimed at young audiences.
• Stress the need for a collective endeavor involving social media consumers, media organizations, policy-makers, and youth educators to counteract the spread of fake news
• Familiarize youth workers with specific terminologies like social bots, trolling, astroturfing, and deepfakes, along with guidelines on how to report such phenomena.