This text summarises the results of the focus rounds implemented at the project’s start. The provided feedback was analysed and brought into a readable way by the team from Fundacja PSP (Poland).
Media educators play a crucial role in helping older adults navigate the evolving landscape of journalism in the digital age. As misinformation and fake news become increasingly prevalent, seniors must develop critical thinking skills, fact-checking abilities, and responsible information-sharing practices.
Teaching strategies should focus on practical applications, hands-on learning, and fostering media literacy as a means of social empowerment.
1. Understanding the Changing Nature of Journalism
Country-Based Overview
- Poland (PSP & IFAE): Media educators should explain the changing role of journalism, including the rise of civic and guerrilla journalism and how digital platforms influence the spread of news. It is essential to highlight that journalistic standards—fact-based reporting, reliability of sources, and separating opinions from facts—remain unchanged.
- Turkey: Emphasizes the opportunity digital platforms provide for tracking news and comparing media sources over time. Journalists and media educators must consider their audiences’ needs and capabilities when producing content.
- Italy: Focuses on helping seniors select trustworthy media sources, analyse articles in group settings, and understand citizen journalism. Seniors should be made aware that anyone can publish online, making source verification essential.
- Austria: Stresses the importance of critical thinking, teaching seniors to evaluate who is sharing information, their motives, and whether the content has real value.
Best Practices Across Countries
- Explain the evolution of journalism, including new forms like citizen journalism.
- Highlight the difference between professional journalism and opinion-based content.
- Teach seniors how to evaluate news sources and detect media biases.
- Use real-life case studies to illustrate the mechanics of news production.
- Encourage active discussions on the role and impact of modern journalism.
2. Preventing the Spread of Fake News and Misinformation
Country-Based Overview
- Poland (PSP & IFAE): Educators must teach fact-checking techniques, how misinformation spreads, and how to analyse manipulative techniques. Hands-on exercises can be effective, such as experimenting with fake news creation (while considering ethical concerns).
- Turkey: Learners should be taught to verify sources, question shocking news, and avoid automatically sharing images or articles without proper validation. Educators should emphasize the negative consequences of spreading misinformation.
- Italy: Seniors should ask key questions before sharing news: What is the source? Are there other similar reports? Why do I want to share this? Encouraging cross-referencing multiple sources is essential.
- Austria: Seniors should use critical thinking when consuming and sharing news. They should focus on fact-checking multiple reliable sources, recognizing bias, and understanding the motives behind information.
Best Practices Across Countries
- Teach fact-checking strategies—analysing URLs, verifying multiple sources, and recognizing manipulative content.
- Encourage questioning before sharing: Is this credible? Who benefits from this information?
- Use real-life examples of viral misinformation to illustrate how fake news spreads.
- Create safe spaces for discussion where seniors can analyse news together.
- Help seniors build digital scepticism—understanding that online content is unreliable.
3. Encouraging Responsible News Consumption and Sharing
Country-Based Overview
- Poland (PSP & IFAE): Media educators should explain how emotions influence information processing and the psychological mechanisms behind viral misinformation. Educators can create discussion groups where seniors analyse and verify news articles together.
- Turkey: Emphasizes educating seniors on the importance of reliable sources and training them in critical news analysis. Seniors must understand that not everything online is trustworthy.
- Italy: Encourages a structured approach to information verification, urging seniors to read before sharing, critically examine URLs, and consult multiple sources.
- Austria: Seniors must apply common sense when evaluating information and avoid sharing content impulsively. Fact-checking should be a routine habit rather than an occasional action.
Best Practices Across Countries
- Train seniors to recognize unreliable sources and misleading headlines.
- Encourage discussion-based learning—seniors learn best when analysing news collectively.
- Promote a “fact-checking first” culture—read, verify, and discuss before sharing.
- Introduce simple verification tools such as fact-checking websites and browser extensions.
- Emphasize the long-term impact of misinformation—how it affects society and personal credibility.
4. Teaching Digital and Media Literacy for Social Empowerment
Country-Based Overview
- Poland (PSP & IFAE): Media educators should explain online media trends and teach seniors how to find high-quality journalism. Discussions should explore why journalism matters and how it functions in society.
- Turkey: Seniors should be taught how to navigate online media independently, empowering them to compare sources and identify misinformation.
- Italy: The focus should be on equal access to digital news sources, helping seniors develop informed media consumption habits.
- Austria: Media literacy should include basic digital skills, recognizing biases, and understanding how media narratives are shaped.
Best Practices Across Countries
- Explain how media trends emerge and why certain narratives dominate.
- Help seniors distinguish between reliable and misleading journalism.
- Teach about digital rights and equal access to quality information.
- Develop personal media consumption strategies for seniors.
- Promote active engagement in media rather than passive consumption.
5. Structuring Media Education for Older Adults
Country-Based Overview
- Poland (PSP & IFAE): Organizing fact-checking sessions and creating discussion groups helps seniors verify information collaboratively.
- Turkey: Training should include interactive media literacy exercises and structured news evaluation methods.
- Italy: Face-to-face sessions should focus on practical media skills, while online resources should reinforce knowledge.
- Austria: Training should combine hands-on activities with critical discussions, ensuring seniors feel comfortable questioning news sources.
Best Practices Across Countries
- Combine in-person discussions with digital tools for media education.
- Provide ongoing support—media literacy is an evolving skill.
- Create structured learning modules that gradually build media literacy competencies.
- Encourage seniors to engage with news critically and independently.
About the BonJour! Project
The spread of disinformation and misinformation poses risks to democracy, public health, and social cohesion, particularly affecting older adults who often lack adequate media literacy. The BonJour project aims to bridge this gap by enhancing media literacy, journalism skills, and digital competencies for people over 55, fostering their social activism, and reducing the generational digital divide through blended learning formats.
Project number: 2023-1-IT02-KA220-ADU-000160320
Webpage: www.bonjour-project.eu/
Journalism and Media Education for Adults 55+