MedienDemokratieHub [2025 – 2026]

About This Project

MedienDemokratieHub

Building the future in Saxony

 

Project duration: January 2025 – December 2026

 

Project overview:

The digital transformation has fundamentally changed our lives and the way we consume and share information. While new technologies open up numerous opportunities, the digital transformation also brings challenges – in particular, the spread of fake news and disinformation, which endangers trust in public institutions and democratic processes. In Saxony, this change is reflected in a region known for its strong civic engagement, but also facing specific digital and societal challenges.

The project ‘Media Democracy Hub – Saxony Shapes the Future’ is responding to this situation with a comprehensive, innovative approach to strengthen citizens’ media literacy and promote democratic participation in the digital space. It combines regional specifics with a European context and creates spaces for critical thinking, creative expression and sustainable networking.

Through a combination of practice-oriented workshops, an interactive online learning portal, a documenting web blog and a concluding conference, the project brings people from Saxony together to actively engage with topics such as fake news, ethical online behaviour and digital inclusion. At the same time, it offers concrete tools and educational formats that can be directly applied in everyday and professional life.

With a strong focus on digital accessibility and regional roots, the project is setting new standards for the teaching of media literacy. It not only strengthens the ability to distinguish reliable from unreliable information, but also creates awareness of social responsibility and the possibilities of digital participation.

The ‘MedienDemokratieHub’ project is thus a forward-looking initiative that strengthens the digital literacy of Saxony’s citizens, promotes their active participation in a democratic society and connects regional and European perspectives.

 

The target groups of the MedieDemokratieHub project are:

  • Pupils and young people (12-18 years): promotion of critical media literacy, prevention of fake news and cyberbullying, and strengthening of democratic participation.
  • Students and young adults (18-30 years): learning advanced digital skills, media production, and digital self-defence.
  • Job seekers and professionals: promotion of digital skills for the world of work.
  • Senior citizens (60+ years): improving digital security and the ability to avoid online fraud and disinformation.
  • Multipliers and professionals: training in methods for teaching media literacy.
  • Committed citizens and organisations: support in networking and raising the profile of their work.
  • People with disabilities: Access to accessible digital content and technologies, as well as training in the use of assistive technologies.

 

The objectives of the MediaDemocracyHub project:

  1. Strengthening media literacy: A central concern of the project is to impart skills that enable participants to navigate the digital world with confidence and sovereignty. This includes, in particular, recognising and critically evaluating fake news and using digital media responsibly. Participants learn to question content in a differentiated way, to check sources and to arm themselves against disinformation.
  2. Promoting democratic participation: Digital literacy is considered key to actively participating in democratic processes. The project encourages participants to use digital platforms to make their voices heard, to educate themselves about political issues and to actively engage in social discussions. This strengthens participation in democracy and promotes a digital civil society.
  3. Digital inclusion: Another focus is on ensuring that all citizens – regardless of age, education, social or physical background – have access to digital education. The project places a strong emphasis on barrier-free formats to make digital skills accessible and learnable for as many people as possible.
  4. Prevention and security: Participants are made aware of the risks in the digital space and learn strategies for digital self-defence. This includes protecting personal data, handling passwords securely and recognising dangers such as phishing or cyberbullying. The aim is to promote safe and responsible behaviour online.
  5. Sustainable networking: The project promotes the development of long-term partnerships and collaborations. The exchange of best practices and the creation of a network of committed actors are intended to establish sustainable cooperation. This enables the continuous transfer of knowledge and experience and ensures the long-term impact of the project.

 

The results of the Media Democracy Hub project:

  1. 70 media literacy workshops in Saxony: the workshops focus on recognising and combating fake news; using social media safely; and ethics in the digital space. In addition, the basics of media production are covered through practical projects, awareness of the role of algorithms in social media and news portals, protection against online threats through digital self-defence, and the design of inclusive digital content and the use of assistive technologies. These topics prepare participants for critical, responsible and safe use of digital media.
  2. Interactive online learning portal: The learning portal will provide access to all of the project’s tools and resources, using multimedia content to make the learning process attractive and support a positive learning experience. The aim is to support users in acquiring the knowledge, skills and attitudes needed for developed media literacy and democratic participation. The interactive online learning portal offers content in German and English, with some content even available in other languages. In particular, modules developed in previous projects will be integrated into this learning platform as a central democracy learning hub.
  3. Web blog: Documenting the voices of engaged citizens in Saxony through interviews, essays and mapping of democracy initiatives. To this end, 30 interviews with engaged citizens and 15 essays on democracy topics will be published, highlighting personal stories, projects and analyses. The blog will be supplemented by an interactive map with profiles of 30 organisations in Saxony to strengthen networking and exchange. The long-term plan is to continuously expand the blog to make civic engagement in Saxony visible, promote democratic participation and strengthen citizens’ media literacy.
  4. Conference “Saxony Shapes the Future” in Dresden: The conference will focus on the topics of combating fake news, developing news and media formats, and maintaining and strengthening European values. The planned content includes workshops and lectures on identifying and combating disinformation, presentations and best practices for developing credible media formats, and discussions on the role of the media in communicating and protecting European values such as freedom, democracy and human rights. The conference will be shaped by a range of activities: expert talks from the fields of media, science and politics, interactive discussion panels, as well as practice-oriented workshops on combating fake news and creating new media formats.
  5. Networking events: In addition to the conference, two networking events are planned in Dresden to promote cooperation and knowledge sharing between various actors. These events provide platforms for jointly developing strategies to combat disinformation and promote innovative media formats. The networking events are designed to help build a strong, sustainable network to promote democratic values and media integrity in Saxony and beyond.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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