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Generation News Avoidance

Help Youth Engage With Democracy

WHAT?

Generation News Avoidance is a project funded by Tuborgfondet that runs until February 2025. Throughout the year we will visit a wide range of Danish schools (gymnasier, efterskoler, højskoler, FGU’er etc.) to hold workshops in constructive journalism and talk about the role of media in democracy. Research shows that selective news avoidance is an increasing issue across countries and that self-declared interest in news is lower amongst women and younger people. This is challenging not only for media companies, but also for the public democratic conversation.


The Generation News Avoidance Tour

Our goal is to reach 7.500 Danish students by the end of February 2025.

7457

20/01/2025

Århus Statsgymnasium

15/01/2025

Brøruphus Efterskole

10/01/2025

Borupgaard Gymnasium

18/12/2024

Rungsted Gymnasium

13/12/2024

Rosborg Gymnasium

10/12/2024

Brønderslev Gymnasium

2-3/12/2024

Silkeborg Gymnasium

28/11/2024

Aabenraa Statsskole

26/11/2024

Espergærde Gymnasium

20-21/11/2024

Mediebootcamp

13/11/2024

Odder Højskole

11/11/2024

Mulernes Legatskole

07/11/2024

Tommerup Efterskole

31/10/2024

Aarhus Business College

30/10/2024

Midtfyns Gymnasium

24/10/2024

Uddannelsesdag for lærere

11/10/2024

Favrskov Gymnasium

09/10/2024

Al-Hikma Skolen

07/10/2024

Risskov Gymnasium

04/10/2024

IBC Aabenraa

02/10/2024

Nørgaards Højskole

01/10/2024

IBC Fredericia

27/09/2024

Ry Højskole

25/09/2024

Egmont Højskolen

18-19/09/2024

Randers Statsskole

11/09/2024

Roskilde Festival Højskole

11-12/09/2024

Niels Brock Gymnasium

06/09/2024

Brande Højskole

04/09/2024

DSDH

03/09/2024

Brandbjerg Højskole

28/08/2024

Aarhus Efterskole

22/08/2024

Næstved Gymnasium

15/08/2024

European Film College

14+16/08/2024

Aalborg Handelsskole

14-15/06/2024

Folkemøde på Bornholm

05/06/2024

Brande Højskole

22/05/2024

Hadsten Højskole

16/05/2024

Johan Borups Højskole

15/05/2024

Midtfyens Gymnasium

22/04/2024

Silkeborg Højskole

19/04/2024

Efterskolen Ådalen

18/04/2024

Rosborg Gymnasium & HF

12/04/2024

Idrætshøjskolen i Aarhus

10/04/2024

Brøruphus Efterskole

09/04/2024

Holstebro Gymnasium & HF

08/04/2024

Kalø Højskole

20/03/2024

Alssundgymnasiet Sønderborg

20/03/2024

Ryslinge Højskole

14-15/03/2024

Grundtvigs Højskole

13/03/2023

Roskilde Katedralskole

12/03/2024

Askov Højskole

08/03/2024

FGU Aarhus Vest

06-07/03/2024

Vestjyllands Højskole

04/03/2024

Gylling Efterskole

28/02/2024

VMSE – Vestbirk

21/02/2024

Mulernes Legatskole

09/02/2024

Skanderborg Gymnasium

31/01/2024

Borupgaard Gymnasium

29/01/2024

Rønde Højskole

26/01/2024

Brønderslev Gymnasium

24/01/2024

Thisted Gymnasium

22/01/2024

Aarhus Statsgymnasium

20/12/2023

Horsens Gymnasium

28/11/2023

Aarhus Katedralskole

WHY?

Reports show that selective news avoidance is an increasing issue across countries and that selfdeclared interest in news is lower amongst women and younger people. This is challenging not only for media companies, but also the public democratic conversation.

HOW?

By teaching the students about the role of media in democracy and giving them concrete tools to make their own journalistic stories we hope to increase both the media literacy and democratic self-confidence amongst future generations. When engaging in the local democracy at their school, the students are inspired to take part in democracy in general.

At Aabenraa Statsskole our workshop resulted in a digital schoolpaper to support the local democracy at the school. Find it here:

Examples of the students’ stories

Har du styr på privatøkonomien?

Hvor bliver sokkerne af?

Er svingdøren overhovedet brandsikker?

Hvorfor indføre et blåt kort i fodbold?

Hvorfor stiger prisen på offentlig transport?

Hvorfor er der ingen p-pille til mænd?

Hvorfor er der ikke pant på Cocio?

Hvilke øl er der egentlig gluten i?

WHAT NOW?

Are you an educator of students aged 16 – 30 years? Then have a look at our Learning Lab, where you will find all the material you need for teaching young people in journalism, media and democracy.

Learning Lab

Find our free learning material for the workshop ‘Journalist for a day’ here.

Learning Lab

Key takeaway from the schools we have visited

It was cool to make a product so we actually learned how to use the journalistic tools ourselves.

It was really fun. We were quickly engaged and inspired to make our videoes even better.

Student feedback

Keypoints from the evaluation

72%

of the students say that the workshop has given them concrete journalistic tools that they can use to shed light on different topics.

57%

of the students say that the workshop has opened their eyes to the fact that they have a voice that is worth listening to.

50%

of the students say that they have become more interested in following the news after the workshop.

60%

of the students say that they now know a lot more about the role of media in democracy.

CONTACT US HERE

BIO

Jesper Himmelstrup is running our Youth- and Democracy-Project focusing on how we can encourage The Next Generation to take part in our Democracy through Better Listening and Participating in our Public Conversation in a more Constructive way.

BACKGROUND

Jesper Himmelstrup has 20 years of experience as a journalist. He has been working 10 years as a news reporter at the Danish Broadcasting Corporation, as an editor at the Ministry of the Environment, teaching at the Danish School of Journalism – and teaching the journalism-students at Krogerup Folk High School from 2013-2022. He was a fellow at the Constructive Institute 2022-2023.

BIO

Sonja Morell Lundorff is a project assistant at Constructive Institute where she is working at the Youth- and Democracy-Project focusing on planning, developing and facilitating workshops that encourage The Next Generation to take part in our Democracy and in the Public Conversation in a more Constructive way.

BACKGROUND

Sonja has a master’s in Analytical Journalism from Aarhus University and has written her thesis on Youth, Media and Democracy. She has years of experience with teaching children and young people and has extensive knowledge on youth engagement and participation. She took her bachelor’s in Religious Studies at Copenhagen University during which she worked at the daily newspaper Kristeligt Dagblad.