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The "Disinformation Hotspot" project promotes media literacy and strengthens volunteer work
The Griesheim youth fire brigade is one of six selected locations in Germany participating in the "Disinformation Hotspot" project. This project, a collaboration between CORRECTIV's reporter factory and the German Youth Fire Brigade (DJF), aims to combat targeted misinformation online and simultaneously highlight the commitment of young firefighters.
Starting in summer 2025, three interactive workshops will be offered in Griesheim for young people of the volunteer fire brigade, which are intended to strengthen media literacy and promote a reflective approach to social media.
Young people learn to recognize and expose disinformation
The workshops are led by journalists from CORRECTIV's reporter factory. In these sessions, the young people learn, among other things, how content spreads on TikTok and similar platforms, how to recognize disinformation, identify reliable sources, and research and create their own content. The goal is to empower young people to navigate digital content and enable them to create their own stories – including about their daily lives in the youth fire brigade.
Two workshops will take place between July and November 2025, and a third in spring 2026. Besides Griesheim, Magdeburg-Olvenstedt (Saxony-Anhalt), Schauenburg Hoof (Hesse), Frankenholz (Saarland), Schöneiche & Woltersdorf (Brandenburg) and Hamburg-Lohbrügge are also participating.
Background: Using media literacy to combat attacks on emergency services
The project's starting point is the increasing confrontation of emergency responders with hostility and attacks – often fueled by misinformation online. "Disinformation Hotspot" addresses precisely this issue: it aims to promote trust in democratic structures and strengthen young people's resilience against digital manipulation.
The project is funded by the federal program “Democracy Live!” of the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth.
Background:
The German Youth Fire Brigade is the junior organization of the German Fire Brigade Association and, with around 350,000 members, is one of the largest youth organizations in Germany. In addition to fire service training, values such as team spirit, helpfulness, and participation are central to its activities.
(GRIESHEIM – PSG)
Further information about the project can be found at: www.correctiv.org
