This is a pioneering project by Catalunya Internacional and the European institutions in Barcelona in which more than 600 students have already taken part

Today the media literacy workshops against disinformation and fake news resume at the Faculty of Nursing in Igualada, part of the Universitat de Lleida (UdL). These workshops are part of a pioneering project promoted by Catalunya Internacional, the European Parliament Office in Barcelona and the European Commission Representation in Barcelona. During the first term of the academic year, between September and December, a total of 17 workshops were held at 8 Catalan universities, with the participation of 619 students. Sessions were conducted in Catalan, Spanish and English, both in person and online, specifically tailored to each field of study.

Following the success of the first round of workshops, the promoting entities have decided to schedule a second round between February and May. Of the 20 possible workshops, 18 have already been confirmed at UdL, UOC, UdG, UAB, UVic and URV (see the full list at the end of this note). Most workshops last between 1.5 and 2 hours. The training team belongs to Learn to Check, a non-profit organisation that has trained more than 21,000 people over more than seven years of experience in media and information literacy.

The growing and evolving disinformation that characterises our times is a challenge for everyone, including highly educated young people and future professionals in fields such as journalism, education and health, among others. It is essential to learn how to verify the content we receive through social media and to understand verification techniques. The aim of these workshops is to help students at universities, business schools and university institutes in Catalonia that are part of the Catalunya Internacional Consortium to verify information and defend democratic values against the dangers of fake news.

All courses focus on the phenomenon of disinformation, with its multiple forms, strategies and consequences. Advanced tools are provided to verify information, scientific studies, photographs, videos, audio files, false content generated by artificial intelligence and social media accounts. Finally, active participation is encouraged: how professionals in journalism, health sciences, political science, education or economics, among others, can work to stop the spread of false information in their field and thereby contribute to the common good.

The fight against disinformation is one of the European Union's priorities and forms part of the European Democracy Shield presented by the European Commission last November, which aims to strengthen society's resilience against information manipulation.

Schedule of planned workshops: