Geneva journalists of public service media alliance join drive for news literacy with Lie Detectors
Brussels / Geneva – 3 May 2023 – Journalists of the European Broadcasting Union are teaming up with news literacy project Lie Detectors to bring greater understanding of online information and the work of journalists to schools.
From May to December 2023, EBU journalists will visit schools in and around Geneva, delivering interactive sessions in French and English for 10-15 year-olds on how to fact-check their social media channels and how professional journalism works.
"We are extremely keen to engage in a conversation with our local community about how to navigate online information with care, and how to recognise serious and fact-based journalistic content," said Liz Corbin, Deputy Director and Head of News at the EBU.
"Everyone needs the tools to be a journalist, particularly now, when so many of us are gathering our information independently online. And who better to pass on these tools than journalists themselves.
"It's very good news that EBU journalists are making the teaching of news literacy part of their service to the public,” said Lie Detectors Executive Director Juliane von Reppert-Bismarck.
Lie Detectors campaign, which is funded by the Wyss Foundation and its Swiss founder Hansjörg Wyss, is active in Austria, Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, Poland and Switzerland. It has trained more than 300 journalists with an approach recommended by EU media literacy experts and arranges more than 1,000 annual school visits. Journalist visits are in person and use an approach tested with children, educators and psychologists, at no cost to schools.
“The war in Ukraine and the long shadow of COVID highlight to us all the role that critical media literacy must play in stemming disinformation and the havoc disinformation plays with democracy and human health,” said von Reppert-Bismarck. “The EBU’s support is significant at a time when organisations such as the UN and OECD debate the importance of integrating critical media literacy into all curricula.”
“The workshops deal with a highly topical and important topic. Pupils learn how they can critically evaluate information and recognise disinformation in a digital media landscape that has become confusing. At the same time, the journalists provide an exciting insight into their work," said EBU's Corbin.
The European Broadcasting Union is the world's leading alliance of public service media (PSM) and home to the Eurovision News Exchange, a unique network that provides PSM newsrooms with round-the-clock access to live and global news stories.
Lie Detectors is active in English, French, German and Polish and advises EU institutions and governments on smart policies to stem disinformation. It advocates for the systematic inclusion and integration of news literacy into the curricula in schools and universities of teacher education. As a member of the Erasmus+ initiative’s Friends of eTwinning campaign, Lie Detectors also delivers journalist-led teacher-training.
If you are interested in a school visit:
Teachers are welcome to contact us. Complete this form or write to Sinem Sahin sinem@liedetectors.org. Teachers need the following for a Lie Detectors visit: 90 minutes, internet access, a videoconferencing platform and a class of students aged 10-15. Once matched with a journalist, school groups receive materials to prepare for the journalist’s visit.
Notes to editors:
For press inquiries or interview requests, contact: Joe Sarchet-Winters, Communications Director at Lie Detectors, Joe@lie-detectors.org.
Lie Detectors is an independent and award-winning organisation headquartered in Brussels that works internationally to further news literacy. The organisation has trained more than 300 journalists from public and private print, broadcast and online media. In its drive against disinformation, Lie Detectors advocates for sustainable policies and measures in the fields of education and digital rights, both internationally and nationally. More information at www.lie-detectors.org.
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) is the world’s leading alliance of public service media (PSM). It has 112 member organizations in 56 countries and an additional 30 Associates in Asia, Africa, Australasia and the Americas. Its members operate nearly 2,000 television, radio and online channels and services, and offer a wealth of content across other platforms. Together they reach an audience of more than one billion people around the world, broadcasting in 153 languages. It operates Eurovision and Euroradio services. EBU strives to secure a sustainable future for public service media. It provides Members with world-class content from news to sports and music and builds on its founding ethos of solidarity and cooperation to create a centre for learning and sharing. More information at www.ebu.ch.