#PJstories – Interview with Tsvetelina Asher

Tsvetelina participated in the Training Course “The Truth Behind the Headlines” organized by PROJUVEN in Benalmádena, Spain


Hello Tsvetelina! Can you give us your opinion about the project “The Truth Behind the Headlines“ and Erasmus + experience?

In my opinion the project “The truth behind the headlines” was very helpful to understand what kind of fake sources we have in our daily life. On this project I met a lot of interesting people and we exchanged a personal examples of possible daily fake news we received in social media or on the TV. Some of the people shared their personal experience how they was scammed. So it was a really good knowledge that we gained from that examples which was helpful to not make their mistakes.

The Erasmus+ experience is a huge benefit to meet a lot of new people from all over the world and to exchange different perspectives in any kind of topics we have in live. These experiences gives a cultural understanding, tolerance, and development of social and interpersonal skills. Participating in Erasmus+ projects gives me self-confidence and freedom to express myself among a group of people I don’t know. It helps me to speak more in front of many people because I usually don’t feel secure when I must speak in front of people.

How has your perspective changed about fake news as a result of participating in this training course? What were the most valuable takeaways from the course for you personally?

In this project I learned more about the scam profiles in social medias and how to recognize them. So it encourages me to: fact-checking, trying to verify the information, report and flag the fake accounts. Some of the fake sources could be an e-mails with scam information, so everyone should be careful what kind of information is receiving. To avoid a fake and scam e-mails the first thing we should do is to not open any attached files from unknown senders. In this project the information was provided by several activities also made by participants where we discussed a different situations in life how the people were scammed. So from now on I will be more careful in receiving a messages from unknown accounts or e-mails and I will not open any suspicious files.

According to you, what are some effective methods to educate young people about fake news?

In my opinion there are several things can be done to educate young people about fake news.

For example:

  • Media Literacy Curriculum – Integrate media literacy into the school curriculum. Integrate workshops to teach students how to critically analyze news sources and identify misinformation.
  • Critical Thinking Exercises – Discuss real-life examples of fake news and guide them through the process of fact-checking and verifying information.
  • Interactive Workshops – Interactive workshops where students actively engage in activities such as analyzing news articles and discussing the potential consequences of spreading misinformation.
  • Guest Speakers and Experts – Invite journalists, fact-checkers, or media professionals to speak to students about their experiences in the industry. This provides valuable insights into the world of journalism and the challenges of combating fake news.
  • Role-Playing Scenarios – Create role-playing scenarios that simulate real-world situations involving fake news. This helps students develop practical skills in discerning reliable information from misinformation.
  • Critical Analysis of Social Media – Discuss the role of social media in the spread of fake news. Help students recognize the scam profiles and misinformation on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
  • By combining these methods, educators can empower young people to navigate the complex world of information and make informed decisions about the news they consume and share. Developing a critical mindset and media literacy skills is essential for fostering responsible and well-informed citizens.

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