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Description
Believing that lack of information, unfamiliarity and distance make empathy difficult and exacerbate prejudice and the belief in stereotypes, which make populations more permeable to misinformation, populism and polarisation that threaten democracy, the project aims to train members of peripheral communities of Greater Lisbon, to produce multimedia journalistic products that mirror their realities in the first person, but that are made in a professional and media-friendly language and with “mainstream” diffusion in the digital newspaper “A Mensagem”. To this end, it will begin by training young “correspondents”, community associations and the communities themselves. Then, it will promote a mentoring programme between professionals in the area and young people from the neighbourhoods. Finally, real journalistic content will be produced, edited and published in different multimedia formats, including 1 documentary about the whole process.
Summary of project results
The project aimed to create community journalism with young members (aged 15-20) of social, racial, educational, and informational minorities who often lived on the margins of a society depicted by media they rarely accessed or understood. It sought to help members of peripheral, disenfranchised communities in greater Lisbon find their place in society by creating positive, inspiring, and powerful narratives. Participants gained skills and tools to better understand the media system and distinguish mechanisms of disinformation.
The project aimed to achieve several objectives. Six members from peripheral communities in Greater Lisbon, specifically residents of Bairro do Rêgo (a neighborhood in the center of Lisbon that underwent a special rehousing program) were trained over six months. They learned to recognize and identify mechanisms of disinformation and its consequences and were prepared to create stories and reports reflecting the real experiences of their communities. These objectives were achieved symbiotically, resulting in a group of young individuals proficient in media and information literacy. As a result, a series of reports and stories from the neighborhood were produced and disseminated over a year through a local media outlet, Mensagem. This showcased a positive, unique, and constructive vision of their community, creating a media space for a community that typically lacks such representation. Additionally, the project achieved broader media coverage, amplifying its impact and promoting increased social and democratic participation among minority urban populations undergoing generational renewal. Throughout the project, a capacity-building cycle strengthened Passa Sabi''s role as a civil society agent.
In quantitative terms, the following was achieved:
- 1 awareness-raising campaign carried out;
- 4 NGO initiatives promoting access to information on public/private policies;
- 2 NGO-produced evidence-based report on public/private policies reported in the media;
- 87% share of target group showing civic concerns.
Regarding capacity building, the promoter carried out a needs assessment and prepared an action plan.
All proposed targets were met and exceeded.