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Countering Disinformation Among Vulnerable Populations in Central Europe
This project was designed to develop a comprehensive and durable solution to the disinformation crisis, particularly among senior citizens. Unlike other campaigns that promoted media literacy among seniors, this project made seniors active participants in real-time fact-checking.
This approach allowed these individuals to critically engage with the media they encountered, building a more well-informed public.
In order to achieve these goals, 200 half-day workshops were held across the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary, involving over 2,000 seniors. Innovative learning approaches boosted news literacy and engaged individuals who were not typically involved in media literacy training.
While the initial workshop phase was complete, the project’s impact continued to scale. By establishing a self-sustaining network of peer-mentors and distributing accessible digital toolkits, the initiative ensured that these communities remained resilient. This ongoing support system empowered seniors to act as permanent "information anchors" within their local social circles, providing a long-term defense against shifting disinformation tactics well into the future.
This approach allowed these individuals to critically engage with the media they encountered, building a more well-informed public.
In order to achieve these goals, 200 half-day workshops were held across the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary, involving over 2,000 seniors. Innovative learning approaches boosted news literacy and engaged individuals who were not typically involved in media literacy training.
While the initial workshop phase was complete, the project’s impact continued to scale. By establishing a self-sustaining network of peer-mentors and distributing accessible digital toolkits, the initiative ensured that these communities remained resilient. This ongoing support system empowered seniors to act as permanent "information anchors" within their local social circles, providing a long-term defense against shifting disinformation tactics well into the future.
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Project Overview
Empowered Senior Communities: More than 2,000 seniors across the Visegrad region became active participants in their own media education through 200 workshops and participatory fact-checking clubs, gaining the digital competencies needed to take control of their information ecosystem.
A Scalable Educational Tool: The project established a vibrant repository of resources and a specialized newsletter to share lessons learned and best practices, ensuring that media literacy training remained accessible and community-driven beyond the initial implementation phase.
Professional Capacity Building: By collaborating with established newsrooms and journalists, the initiative built a stable network of peer-mentors and experts capable of providing sustainable, long-term media education for vulnerable populations.
Cross-Border Knowledge Exchange: Through a partnership of organizations from the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary, the project developed a regional media monitoring system and multilingual framework of resources that remain a permanent asset for Central European media resilience.
Senior populations in V4 countries
October 2024–August 2025
National Endowment for Democracy
- Memo98 (Slovakia)
- Center for Independent Journalism (Hungary)
- The Association of Creative Initiatives „ę” (Poland)
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