World Health Organization has announced on 26 March 2021 which Media and its tools are now global crises, the interaction between especially young people ages 16-30. Thus Covid-19 has increased the use of media and its tools, it brought many more challenges such as fake news, disinformation, cyberbullying while corrupting digital safety. etc. Also, based on the Council of Europe’s Paper on The impact of the sanitary crisis on freedom of expression and media freedom, people have started to lose their truth on media channels due to disinformation, and fake news, while freedom of media and freedom of expression of speech is affected negatively in many countries, including Turkey. Also, it is announced by Turkish Green Crescent that Covid-19 brought many challenges including opportunities; however, due to the unconscious use of media and its tools, now Turkish youth technology addiction has increased, and due to unconscious following of media, people tend to enrol echo-chambers which can be defined as biased media channels which disinform people while manipulating their orientations. Therefore, with our planned activities, we would like to address the challenges about media in Turkey, especially for young people which will be addressing the objectives of the ALF call in terms of national network activities.
With this project, our main thematic focus points will be the following:
-Youth
-Media
-Civil Society Response to Covid-19
-Partnerships
-Innovation
Our activities will include 3 online Panels/RTDs which will be broadcasted live on Facebook at Anka Youth Association’s Facebook page.
RDTs:
1.Media Literacy, Accessibility and Tools
2. Social Media
3. Media Threats
The RTDs will foresee to be around 1.30 hours.
RDT #1 will be addressing the goals, aims, and ways of achievement of Media Literacy among youth in Turkey also will be addressing the accessibility of media, correct information, freedom of media during the covid-19 period, and the challenges which the society face-based Civil Society Response to Covid-19.
RDT #2 will be addressing developing social media, and the effects of social media on the behaviour of youth in Turkey.
RDT #3 will be addressing possible threats on the media and disinformation, also effects to the health.
We The Media project will promote youth and Turkish society in a way that true information about media and the methods to use it for their benefits. Moreover, while strengthening national cooperation between CSOs, it will be reaching to stakeholders, and possible solutions to the challenges of media will be collected. While raising awareness, media literacy will be shown in a correct way to the audience. Also, the RTDs will help to build an open area for ideas, will help to discuss freely and inform the audience freely. The system of online broadcasting will allow the audience to direct their questions to the speakers at the same time; therefore, it will provide an inclusive environment for everyone. Moreover, the consortium has chosen from 3 different regions of Turkey which are Marmara, Central Anatolia, and Aegean Regions, to improve the visibility of the project and reach more young people among different regions. Consortium members are Anka Youth Association (Ankara), Buldan Foundation (Denizli) and Community Support Association (Çanakkale).
For more details about the ALF Virtual Marathon Activities: https://www.annalindhfoundation.org/news