eTwinning annual theme 2021 is Media Literacy and Disinformation. The idea of the topic is to develop critical thinking that would allow citizens to access the media and to have a clear understanding of media coverage.


The European Commission’s Media Literacy for All Preparatory Action 2020 describes “media literacy” as an umbrella expression that includes all technical, cognitive, social, civic and creative capacities that allow citizens to access the media, to have a critical understanding of them and to interact with them.

“Disinformation“ is understood as verifiably false or misleading information that is created, presented and disseminated for economic gain or to intentionally deceive the public, and may cause public harm.

eTwinning supports teachers and pupils in developing their digital skills. On the platform there can be found a wide range of professional development opportunities concerning the topic as well as informative materials. There was also created a special featured group called Media Literacy and Disinformation. It is a central point of information and the activities during 2021. The Group includes media literacy guides, online events and campaigns.


When educating young people in the field of media literacy, especially teaching them how to recognise false infromation, it is important to draw their attention to the following issues:

  • Pay attention to the source of information (make sure that the news comes from a reliable website).

  • Check the information in different sources (it is worth verifying its truthfulness by referring to other resources).

  • Read the entire article, not just its headlines. These can often be confusing and lead to misunderstandings.

  • Discover how easy fake news can be created. There are many fake news generators available on the internet, for example:

https://generatestatus.com/fake-instagram-account-maker/,

https://fakedetail.com/fake-tiktok-profile-gererator, https://newspaper.jaguarpaw.co.uk/,

https://www.breakyourownnews.com/

  • Verify the information on national websites fighting with fake news – under this link you can find information concerning national organizations promoting credible sources of information.