How prepared is the EU population to deal with
disinformation? This was the question guiding a European project organized by
eTwinning, an online educational platform connecting hundreds of thousands of
teachers across Europe. The project was developed in partnership with the
European Parliament Ambassador School (EPAS) programme, a network of secondary
and vocational schools across the European Union raising awareness of European
parliamentary democracy and European citizenship values.
More than 100 students from 50 different schools in
Ireland, Italy, Greece, Spain, Slovenia and the Netherlands were asked to carry
out research on the role of the media in relation to democracy, investigating
how Europeans use digital platforms, consume news, and deal with the
disinformation problem. They investigated the media landscape in many European
countries, examining issues related to media regulation, politics, and freedom
of press.
EDMO Ireland media literacy coordinator Ricardo
Castellini da Silva was invited to participate in the final online session
whereby students, divided into 12 teams, presented their research. Ricardo
provided feedback to students on their work and discussed the many issues
involved in the fight against disinformation in Europe, including the role of
the EDMO hubs across the 27 EU member states. According to him, students showed
a great awareness of the many problems associated with disinformation,
especially the ones that pose a threat to European democratic values and the
safety of the population.
Students were also asked to give their opinion
about the regulation of digital platforms, and according to Ricardo this was a
very fruitful conversation with many interesting points being raised by the
participants. The project showed the importance of engaging young people and
providing a safe space for critical awareness and deliberation on digital media
issues.
