“Projects like #UseTheNews can only work with the participation of young people.”

Social media, and also the disinformation they make much easier to spread, know no national borders. It is therefore crucial that international project teams work together to combat online misinformation and thus prevent our democratic society from being weakened.

The days of ridiculing Gen Z as Generation Snowflake are over, because this generation is already adapted to a future-oriented society: It knows about the long-term necessity of climate protection, it sees itself as the plural and diverse compound that it is with its migration histories and different lifestyles, and it lives digitization. 

Therefore, young people not only play a role, their needs are ours as well, and isolating power within the boomer generation only prevents progress. This is exactly what our NewZee community represents and why projects like #UseTheNews can only work with the participation of young people.

If news media want to be or remain relevant for young people, then the most important thing is to have a very plural approach in a plural society. Trust through transparency, making disinformation visible instead of censoring it and broad reporting are essential here.