Media literacy and journalism initiatives in Europe

Efforts to promote media literacy and professional journalism have emerged in Austria and Germany. In Austria, the “Medienführerschein” (Media Driver’s License) program was introduced for secondary students to address topics like artificial intelligence and disinformation. This program, provided by FoMB Forum MedienBildung GmbH, consists of four modules covering data protection, social networks, artificial intelligence, and cyberbullying, and is now available to schools through the Lernapps marketplace.

Simultaneously, the Salon5 youth newsroom opened in Chemnitz, Germany. Operated by CORRECTIV, this initiative allows teenagers to practice journalism by conducting research and producing content for platforms such as Instagram and TikTok. To support these efforts, educational seminars are being held to train instructors on how disinformation and influencer culture function on platforms like YouTube and TikTok.

Other experimental approaches include art-based projects, such as the “Diktat” project in Hamburg, where students transcribe their social media feeds to reflect on their consumption habits. These initiatives complement a broad coalition of German media organizations, including public broadcasters ARD and ZDF and private entities like RTL Deutschland, which announced the ‘Demokratie braucht viele Stimmen’ (Democracy needs many voices) campaign scheduled for mid-September 2026 to highlight the necessity of professional journalism.