Disinformation and (online) polarization have never been more visible.
Frustration and distrust of traditional media organisations are increasing in society – especially amongst young people. How do you find common ground when discussions are no longer possible and people turn away from one another? We believe that the answer lies in a thorough education.
The aim of Under Pressure is to arm as many European citizens against disinformation and polarization as possible. Instead of telling you what is factual information and what is false, Under Pressure introduces you to the techniques behind disinformation that make it so successful.
Our method is based on the inoculation theory, which states that people are able to build up a resistance against false or misleading information by being presented with a weakened version of a misleading argument before being exposed to the “real” information. This is also called “prebunking”, or preemptive debunking. You can see this as giving people a kind of “vaccine” against misleading information. If you can recognize it, you can resist it. Using the theory of change, we challenge young people to reexamine their views on disinformation, journalism and democratic values.
For a concise summary of the Under Pressure programme see:
