On August 16 2025, we organized an interactive training session focused on how to identify fake news and how to apply the technique of the five essential questions.

During the workshop, participants engaged in practical exercises, case studies, and real-time discussions that highlighted how easily misinformation can spread and how critical thinking can help us navigate today’s information overload.

The “Five Questions Technique” proved to be a simple yet powerful tool to assess the credibility of information before sharing it further. By practicing this method, participants gained more confidence in analyzing online content and distinguishing between trustworthy sources and manipulative narratives.This training is part of the UnmaskMedia project, funded by the European Union, which empowers young people to become more resilient against disinformation.

Source Reliability Classification (30 min)

In this session, on 07.10.2025, participants were invited to reflect on how they consume information and on the criteria they can use to evaluate the credibility of a news source. The fundamental benchmarks were: editorial standards, fact-checking, and transparency.

To break the ice, the facilitator presented two contrasting headlines: one published by BBC News, a balanced and well-documented piece, and another from Click!, with a tabloid, exaggerated, and emotional headline. Participants quickly discussed which they found more credible and why, and the room came alive with the exchange of opinions and arguments.

Then, in small groups, each team received several articles from different sources, including HotNews and The Guardian for serious press, as well as materials from Cancan or obscure, clickbait-type websites. By analyzing the texts, participants identified elements that inspired trust (cited authors, official sources, verifiable data) and warning signs (“red flags”), such as sensationalist headlines, lack of evidence, or wording meant to incite panic.

Ultimately, all groups gathered and shared their findings. The facilitator summarized the key ideas, emphasizing that regardless of the source, a critical mindset and constant verification remain essential. In closing, each participant wrote on a post-it their own personal criterion for verifying sources – ranging from “I look for confirmations in several serious publications like Reuters or Agerpres” to “I check if there is a clear author and verifiable data.”

Thus, in just 30 minutes, the activities – from the quick headline comparison to article analysis and individual reflection – transformed the room into a lively exercise in critical thinking and provided participants with practical tools to navigate the world of information more consciously.

Media Literacy Role Play

The third workshop of the Unmask Media project, on 14.10.2025, was structured as a roleplay, in which the participants were assigned different roles and had to debunk a news story without speaking. 

The subject was a story that circulated in Romania in the 1980s: it was said that a 20-story building was moved on rollers. In reality, the news was partially true: the building did exist, but it had 10 stories, not 20, and it had been moved only a few meters, not from one city to another.

The participants assumed the roles of characters such as reporters, citizens, engineers, opinion leaders, and whistleblowers, each tasked with analyzing and challenging the information, identifying discrepancies, and uncovering the true details of the news.

A challenging exercise, but an important methodology within our project that can further aid in achieving the project’s objectives.