Jornal da Bairrada, in the districts of Aveiro and Coimbra, is developing a media literacy project among students in the region to encourage a critical stance towards information, the publication’s director, Oriana Pataco, explained to Lusa.
‘JB goes to School’ is an educational and media literacy project promoted by Jornal da Bairrada, which began in the 2022/2023 school year and has since held around 25 lectures, with an average of 60 to 70 students per session.
To Lusa, the director of Jornal da Bairrada, Oriana Pataco, says that the experience was initially limited to one of the Bairrada municipalities, but had “such a positive impact that it quickly extended to the six municipalities where the newspaper is located: Oliveira do Bairro, Anadia, Mealhada, Águeda, Cantanhede and Vagos”.
The project’s main objective is to raise awareness among young people about disinformation, providing them with tools to identify ‘fake news’, false messages and illegal practices of sharing journalistic content.
“Promoting the appreciation of credible journalism, the defense of copyright and media education, encouraging a critical stance towards information”, are factors that are also part of the project’s objectives, says Oriana Pataco.
The director highlights that Artificial Intelligence (AI) recently became part of the topics covered, in order to reflect on its impacts on knowledge and journalistic information.
‘JB vai à Escola’ is aimed at students from the 9th to the 12th year, with lectures led by journalists from the local newspaper and with an interactive and participatory component.
“In each session, students are invited to reflect, debate and interact with the speaker, becoming, in the end, true ‘ambassadors’ for the defense of the press and good journalism”, explains the person responsible for the project.
Furthermore, each school receives a weekly delivery of the Jornal da Bairrada in digital format, allowing students and teachers free and regular access to regional information, in order to also bring the school community closer to the region’s information reality.
In this sense, the director of the Bairrada newspaper states that so far the “project balance is very positive”, since, “in addition to reinforcing the connection between the Bairrada Newspaper and the educational community, it has contributed to forming more aware and informed young people, promoting active citizenship, critical thinking and the appreciation of the regional press as a pillar of democracy”.
In the 2025/2026 academic year, the project remains active, developing activities along the same lines as previous years, but also with “even more participatory methodologies adapted to the reality of young people, including new digital tools that encourage critical thinking and direct student involvement”.
In 2024, the project was reinforced with the support of the Cultural Fund / Visapress, allowing continuity and depth to the work developed.
According to the most recent data on ‘news deserts’, the municipality of Oliveira do Bairro is in a radio desert situation, while the municipalities of Anadia and Vagos are ‘semi-deserts’ in the press, locations with infrequent or occasional local news.
The municipality of Cantanhede is in a ‘semi-desert’ situation in the press area, while in digital and radio it is in a ‘desert’.