Fight against fake news: Left demands media education in Thuringia!

Fight against fake news: Left demands media education in Thuringia!

Gera, Deutschland - The debate about disinformation and fake news is increasingly gaining driving. This is particularly up to date in the Thuringian state parliament, where the Linke faction has submitted an application to combat targeted disinformation and digital agitation. MPs Katharina König-Preuss emphasizes how dangerous false information is for our democracy. In her opinion, we have to start early to train young people in dealing with information. tixio reports that the application provides for measures such as mandatory media education in schools. The students should learn how to recognize false news and conspiracy myths.

A central point in König-Preuss' argumentation are the incidents in Thuringia experienced so far, such as fake convening notices in Gera and manipulated election results. These are not only annoying, but also question the integrity of democratic processes. In order to counteract this, the application calls for a novella of the Transparency Act and the establishment of a research center that deals more intensively with the topic. The responsibility of the platform operators should also be strengthened in order to contain the spread of disinformation.

schools as the first contact points

A big focus is on schools, where young people should learn the necessary skills to deal with information critically. The Federal Center for Political Education highlights a worrying spread in social media. Especially in times of crisis, people are more susceptible to such content. At the same time, it turns out that low confidence in political and media institutions increases the receptivity to fake news.

scientists find that they are not necessarily more people who believe in disinformation, but rather have become more present. At the same time, it is often observed that fake news and conspiracy counts are used to discredit news sources. In times of crisis, the number of such negative information rose.

media literacy as a key

media literacy is viewed by many as the key in dealing with fake news. This not only includes the critical reflection of media content, but also the knowledge of how information can be assessed. Deutschlandfunk describes that people in alarmist surroundings tend to be more dissatisfied with democracy. It is therefore important to take targeted measures in order to promote confidence in serious media in the long term.

In order to meet the challenges of disinformation, it is advisable to compare different sources and check the background of information. The European Union has already taken measures to promote initiatives such as "EU vs. disinfo" - so that the spread of false news is insulated. This shows that a combination of educational offers and clear legal requirements is necessary to protect our democracies.