Did you know that every 60 seconds on Facebook 3.3 million posts are created, 510.000 comments are published and 293.000 statuses are updated? (AGCOM, 2018) 

This is just one smaller part of the thousands of pieces of information we are exposed to every time we browse the Internet or scroll through our social media.

News, social media posts, videos, and online media convey information that have an impact on individuals and society.  Sadly, a huge amount of these are non-verified and false, the so-called “fake news”, which can affect our lives on multiple levels.

Then, how do you navigate the overload of information and develop critical media literacy in the new world of digital media?

This is where it starts the Erasmus+ project BonJour! - Enhancing the Critical Media Literacy of the Elderly through Digital Education and Journalism, coordinated by EduVita, Centre for Lifelong Learning in Lecce, Italy.

BonJour! Kick-off meeting at EduVita, in Lecce (Italy) - Photo by Peter Mazohl

Why do adults over 55 need “Bon-Journalism”? - Context at a glance

The project name BonJour! plays with the French expression to say “Goodmorning!”, where jour becomes the abbreviation for journalism. As a result, the project name refers to the “bon” (good) journalism, while recalling the sense of “awakening” through critical thinking and media education skills.

In fact, the innovation of the project is to promote media literacy of adults over 55 through digital education and journalism. Adult people 55 plus will develop their digital skills, and will learn the basics of journalism - they will write their news and will become news creators, not passive consumers.

Digital skills course for 50 + - EduVita, Lifelong learning centre in Lecce (Italy)

More specifically, through journalism and digital education, BonJour! project addresses two of the major challenging changes our society, and in particular the adult generation, has faced in the last years:

1. The digitalisation of media: since the pandemic, more and more adults over 55 have started using new digital media, such as online news, video broadcast, and social media to connect with others and stay updated.
2. The proliferation of fake news: in the last years, the number of non-verified and false news has grown exponentially, especially about politics, reporting, and international events. Misinformation and the spread of fake news lead citizens to nurture distorted views, form incorrect thoughts and, as a consequence, make uninformed economic, political, and social decisions. As a result, this can affect the quality of life of adults and their families.

“The spread of both disinformation and misinformation can have a range of consequences, such as threatening our democracies, polarising debates, and putting the health, security and environment of EU citizens at risk.” (Digital Strategy, European Commission).

According to research, adults 55+ are more likely to share and repost unverified content, suggesting a generational gap in critical thinking and digital competencies skills. Consequently, in the digitalised media world adults over 55 tend to be marginalised as “passive recipients”, which can lead to social and civic exclusion.

BonJour! project envisions a digital world where adults over 55 have equal opportunities to participate actively in the online media and contribute to shaping worldviews, for self and society development.

Through bon-journalism adults can develop the digital and critical media literacy skills they need to be both more informed recipients and active news creators.

BonJour focus group on media education for 55+ - EduVita, Lecce (Italy)

Media Literacy - What it is and how BonJour! will develop it

The skills and the contexts mentioned so far form part of a broader concept, which is key in Bonjour! project: media literacy.

Following the definition of the National Leadership Conference on Media Literacy, this expression refers to “the ability to access, analyse, evaluate, and transmit messages through the media". A set of competencies that in today’s digitalised world have become essential. 

It includes different skills such as critical thinking skills and an understanding of how media messages are constructed, disseminated, and interpreted. Media literacy enables individuals to navigate the complex media landscape, identify misinformation or bias, and make informed decisions about the media they consume.

“Journalism and communication education can play a role in overcoming disinformation by building students' understanding of media and information literacy as well as encouraging student’s involvement in activities against disinformation in society” (UNESCO, Jakarta, 2020)

BonJour Kick-Off meeting at EduVita, in Lecce (Italy) - Photo of Peter Mazohl

How BonJour! project will help adults over 55 develop critical media literacy?

The goal of the project is to make adults over 55 the central actors of Bonjour activities as learners, active news creators, and media educators.

During the project’s lifetime, the partners will cooperate to:

• explore the specific learning needs of adults over 55 in the field of media education;
• define and develop a new professional figure: the Media Educator for adults 55 plus;
• create the Pool of Media Educators for adults over 55: Adult Educators from 6 countries will become BonJour! Ambassadors. Through the training, they will develop the skills to be Media Educators for other adults 55+.
• develop the methodology to enhance critical thinking and digital skills through journalism
• create an e-learning platform to raise awareness about media and digital literacy of seniors
• empower adults 55+ as active creators of good-journalism and digital content

Are you ready to learn more about bon-journalism and media literacy? Follow BonJour! updates on the official FB page of the project: click here

BonJour! Enhancing the Critical Media Literacy of the Elderly through Digital Education and Journalism is an Erasmus+ project coordinated by EduVita, in partnership with Fundacja Pro Scientia (Poland), Nazilli Nazhayat (Turkey), My Madeira Island (Portugal), IFAE (Poland), EBI (Austria).

Article by Filomena Locantore - EduVita