BonJour! - Developing critical media literacy in adults through digital journalism Discover BonJour!, a new Erasmus+ project that supports critical media literacy in adults over 55 through digital education and journalism. Did you know that 3.3 million posts are created, 510,000 comments are published and 293,000 statuses are updated on Facebook every 60 seconds? (AGCOM, 2018) This is just a small part of the thousands of pieces of information we are exposed to when surfing the web or browsing social media. News, social media posts, videos and online media convey information that has an impact on individuals and society. Unfortunately, much of this is unverified and false, so-called “fake news”, and can affect our lives in many ways.

So how can you navigate the new world of digital media, in the face of overwhelming information and develop your critical media literacy?

This is where the Erasmus+ project, Developing Critical Media Literacy for Older Adults through Digital Education and Journalism, coordinated by the EduVita Lifelong Learning Centre in Lecce, Italy, comes to the fore.

Why do adults over 55 need “Bon-Journalism”? - A brief summary
Our project name, BonJour!, is inspired by the French phrase “Good morning!”, and jour is an abbreviation for journalism. As a result, the project name refers to “bon” (good) journalism, while also referring to the feeling of “being woke/aware” through critical thinking and media education skills.
In fact, the innovation of the project is to promote media literacy among adults over the age of 55 through digital education and journalism. Within the scope of this project, adults over the age of 55 will develop their digital skills and learn the basics of journalism – they will write their news and become creators of news, not passive consumers.

More specifically, through journalism and digital education, BonJour! The project addresses two major challenges that our society, and especially the adult generation, has faced in recent years:
1- The digitalization of the media: Since the pandemic, almost all adults over the age of 55 have started using new digital media such as online news, video streaming and social media to connect with their loved ones and stay up to date.
2- The proliferation of fake news: In recent years, the amount of unverified and false news has increased exponentially, especially about politics, journalism and international events. The spread of misinformation and fake news leads citizens to have distorted views, form false opinions and, as a result, make uninformed economic, political and social decisions. As a result, the quality of life of these adults and their families is negatively affected.
“The spread of both disinformation and false information can have a range of consequences, including threatening our democracies, polarizing debates and putting at risk the health, safety and environment of EU citizens.” (Digital Strategy, European Commission).
According to research, adults over 55 are more likely to share and repost unverified content, suggesting a generational gap in critical thinking and digital competence skills. As a result, in a world of digitalized media, adults over 55 tend to be marginalized as “passive recipients,” which can lead to social and civic exclusion.
The BonJour! project envisions a digital world where adults over 55 have equal opportunities to actively participate in online media, shaping their worldview and contributing to their personal and social development. Through good! journalism, adults can develop the digital and critical media literacy skills they need to be both more informed recipients and active creators of news.

Media Literacy - What is it and what contribution will BonJour! make? The skills and contexts discussed so far form part of a broader concept, media literacy, which is also key to the Bonjour! project.

According to the definition of the National Media Literacy Leadership Conference, this expression means "the ability to access, analyze, evaluate and communicate messages through the media." A set of competences that have become essential in today's digitalized world.

It includes different skills, such as critical thinking skills and an understanding of how media messages are created, 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 an effective role in countering disinformation by improving students’ understanding of media and information literacy and encouraging students’ participation in activities to counter disinformation in society” (UNESCO, Jakarta, 2020)

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

The aim of the project is to make adults over 55 central actors of Bonjour events as learners, active news creators and media educators.
During the project process, the partners will collaborate on the following:
• Discover the specific learning needs of adults over 55 in the field of media education;
• Define and develop a new professional figure for adults over 55: Media Educator
• Create a Media Educator Pool for adults over 55: Adult Educators from 6 countries will become BonJour! education ambassadors. During the training, they will develop the skills needed to become Media Trainers for other adults over 55.
• Developing a methodology to develop critical thinking and digital skills through journalism
• Creating an e-learning platform to raise awareness of media and digital literacy among older people • Supporting adults 55+ as good! journalism and digital content creators Are you ready to learn more about good! journalism and media literacy? Follow BonJour! updates on the official FB page of the project

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61559183256475

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