We went right next door in the blink of an eye to measure the state of media literacy in Europe and came back with even more questions. Thanks to our friends at Czech Inspire we had the privilege of spending 6 days lulled by the sound of the Doubrava river in Chotěboř, Czech Republic. 

The group thought about how are we affected (and affect) the messages that are transmitted to us and that we transmit. Well, and nothing else is more powerful when it comes to understanding something than inserting yourself into the system itself. The basic concepts have to be there, one has to smoothen the land before seeding it, and make sure that everyone is speaking using the same “code”.  

As soon as the group is synched it’s time to put our "actor' s" hat on and act like a piece of the media’s engine. And hold your horses down if you’re already sweating and thinking "Actor' s hat?”. Not only of words are media or messages made, and so we used the versatility of our body movements to transcribe a newspaper’s article through 5 images, using the so-called “Newspaper Theatre”.

Do you want to know more about the techniques used to capture your attention and make you glue to content that you don’t even understand why are you watching? What if… you create your own newspaper? Trees were shaking, falling nearby and our curiosity only seemed to grow. After all, if this story came out in a newspaper, how would it have been told? We tried it out. The result? Sensationalnal(ist). Maybe you think that you are able to give the truth and the truth only. Maybe after discovering all the techniques used by the media you feel manipulated and betrayed. But is it really like this?  

Even though these days have been filled with non-formal education we dressed ourselves up for all the knowledge that was awaiting us (as well as for the cold that was peeking at us from outside). We spent this week in an always inviting tone and filled with team spirit. I’m not sure if non-formal education will or should substitute other ways of learning but yet, maybe it’s time to give it more airtime. 

Our job is over yet. We have questions and data to collect. May it be that you are aware of some “toxic narrative” in Aveiro's community? If so, come to us! 

I might be suffering some priming effects but this was, truly, one more wonderful experience. Fact or opinion? Well… it depends on the adopted perspective. 

The Training Course “Transformation” was held under the Erasmus+ Program and Agency for International Programs for Youth. If you want to know more about this and other programs, visit our Erasmus+ page and contact us. Don’t miss these opportunities!