Fighting disinformation and polarization is intrinsic to a healthy democracy.
The most common tactics deployed by governments and media organisations to tackle the problem of fake news and disinformation are either through legislation, to strengthen fact-checking networks or to change algorithms of social media platforms and search engines. All of them are short-term solutions, addressing the symptoms rather than the root cause.
The best way to fight disinformation is to educate news consumers
Under Pressure offers a different approach: by educating media users about the tactics and techniques of disinformation, and simultaneously taking into account the societal context, their background and worldview, we’ve created an integrated education methodology that effectively equips the next generation of EU citizens with the right tools to critically assess media and information to build resistance against disinformation. Based on the theory of change, we aim to challenge young people to reexamine their views on disinformation, journalism and democratic values.
For a concise summary of the Under Pressure programme see: