{"id":160027,"date":"2025-05-30T08:39:45","date_gmt":"2025-05-30T06:39:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cesie.org\/?p=160027"},"modified":"2025-10-20T10:08:22","modified_gmt":"2025-10-20T08:08:22","slug":"medmas-fake-news-democracy-disinformation-in-europe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cesie.org\/en\/youth\/medmas-fake-news-democracy-disinformation-in-europe\/","title":{"rendered":"Fake news and democracy: the impact of disinformation in Europe"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

On May 27, 2025, at the Cinema Marconi<\/strong> in Palermo, the Conference on the Impact of Fake News on European Democracies<\/strong> was held, an in-person<\/strong> event organized within the course of Professor Francesca Pedone at the University of Palermo<\/strong>. The initiative, lasting about two and a half hours, offered a collective reflection<\/strong> on the phenomenon of disinformation, providing both theoretical<\/strong> and practical<\/strong> tools to address its political<\/strong>, social<\/strong>, and cultural<\/strong> consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The event was introduced by Enrico Casacchia, project manager<\/strong> of the research center CESIE<\/strong>, who highlighted the relevance<\/strong> and seriousness<\/strong> of the issue. In a context characterized by constant and pervasive information flows, he pointed out how young generations often lack the necessary tools<\/strong> to distinguish between reliable information and manipulative<\/strong> content. Disinformation is not just a journalistic mistake: it can become a true instrument of propaganda<\/strong> and social control<\/strong>, with tangible effects on the quality of democratic participation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Among the distinguished speakers, Professor Gianna Cappello<\/strong>, from the SPPEFF<\/strong> Department at the University of Palermo, provided an in-depth analysis of the phenomenon, emphasizing the strategic role of education<\/strong>. According to Cappello, combating fake news requires more than fact-checking<\/strong>: it is necessary to promote a culture of media literacy<\/strong> starting from school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She proposed integrating media education into school curricula as a cross-cutting<\/strong> skill, essential to form aware<\/strong>, critical<\/strong>, and responsible<\/strong> citizens. Disinformation, she stated, fits into a communicative culture dominated by simplification<\/strong>, polarization<\/strong>, and spectacularization<\/strong>: therefore, an educational approach that fosters critical<\/strong> thinking and participatory<\/strong> analysis is needed. She also emphasized the importance of inclusive<\/strong> pedagogical practices that reach students from diverse backgrounds. In this context, projects like MEDMAS<\/strong> were identified as innovative tools for more effective civic and digital education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alongside the academic dimension, the conference also offered a concrete perspective thanks to the intervention of Fausto Melluso<\/strong>, president of ARCI Palermo<\/strong> and activist in communication, migration, and social inclusion fields. Melluso focused on how fake news influence the public representation of migration phenomena, contributing to the construction of toxic<\/strong> and misleading<\/strong> narratives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Drawing from examples from Palermo\u2019s reality, he showed how disinformation can fuel xenophobic<\/strong> attitudes and legitimize exclusionary<\/strong> policies. He denounced the connection between distorted public narratives and concrete exclusion<\/strong>: from housing insecurity to limited access to rights, up to marginalization within informal networks. Melluso called for renewed civic<\/strong> commitment to deconstruct these stereotypes and promote alternative narratives based on real experiences and dialogue. Civil society organizations, like ARCI, he reiterated, play a key role in public education<\/strong> and awareness-raising<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the second part of the conference, students actively participated in a practical session with the board game Media Masters<\/strong>, a simulation based on real disinformation scenarios. The game provided a concrete opportunity to experiment with strategies to analyze and deconstruct misleading messages, focusing on collaboration<\/strong> and critical learning<\/strong>. The activity was well received, stimulating discussion and self-reflection among participants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Palermo conference represented an important interdisciplinary opportunity to discuss a highly topical issue. Between theoretical analysis, testimonies from the territory, and innovative educational tools, the event helped raise awareness about the urgency of combating disinformation through education<\/strong>, participation<\/strong>, and active citizenship<\/strong>. A clear message emerged: defending democracy also means knowing how to recognize and counter false news<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Report of the Conference: https:\/\/cesie.org\/risorse\/medmas-conferenza-impatto-fakenews-democrazie-europee\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n


About the project<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

MEDMAS \u2013 Media Masters<\/a> is a project funded by European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) CERV-2023-CITIZENS-CIV (Citizens\u2019 engagement and participation \u2013 2023).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Partners<\/h3>\n\n\n\n