MEDIA TODAY – Erasmus +

Nowadays, the media influence the young generation as never before. The use of online media, in particular, has risen dramatically over the past decade until it has gotten out of our control. Young people are exposed to all kinds of content that can have a potential harmfulness they are often unaware of. This is why we have to train young generations into thinking critically, becoming wise and informed consumers of media. Media have an important role in modern societies as it is the main source of information for most citizens about topics ranging from the international to the local level. Media and the way of reporting can also play a vital role in the international public sphere and influence political and social events. But only responsible and ethical journalism that avoids biased and stereotyped information can contribute to the development of a society as its watch-dog. Partners in this project – PL, NL, TR, RO and IT – are united by the purpose of training students to distinguish between responsible and irresponsible journalism, between real and fake news, biased opinions and objective reporting of events, about how to avoid manipulation on TV and social media, be prepared to recognize elements of manipulation in news, public speeches and social media posts. We will ensure that the project activities will contribute to this goal – to train teens in media literacy, build communication and interpersonal skills, permit the exchange of ideas among different cultures. Sts work together to analyse and create media products, thus developing their team work abilities, intercultural cooperation and creativity. We have planned 4 student exchanges and 1 joint-staff training event: C1 – NL – Media – yesterday and today C2 – RO – Media and its power to control minds C3 – IT – The rise of social media, the decline of truth? C4 – PL – From consumers to creators of media C5 – TR – Media Education in highschools (joint-staff training event) During C1-C4 we will involve students in activities meant to develop critical thinking and analytical skills, using the methodology of learning through discovery, but also organizing workshops given by media specialists to teach them to identify manipulation techniques, to analyse information critically, and also to become creators of media content who respect the principles of ethics. We will facilitate meetings between students and journalists in which they give interviews about the shortcomings of media representation. Students will create an e-newspaper where they will write articles of interest to teenagers, in which they apply what they learn throughout the project. The student Facebook group will act as a tool to share ideas, comment on news and share experiences throughout the project and in the follow-up stage. In C5, we will create a guide for teachers to use media in teaching and as an extracurricular activity, based on the results obtained in the project.