SMIDGE Project Brings Together Media Professionals to Tackle Disinformation Among Middle-Aged Audiences

Inclusive Europe and De Montfort University (DMU) co-organised a dedicated roundtable for journalists, held in Brussels as part of the SMIDGE Project. The event brought together media professionals, civil society actors, and researchers to explore how narratives targeting middle-aged audiences function and how journalism can more effectively and responsibly engage with this demographic.

Understanding a Forgotten Demographic

During her presentation, Dr. Sara Wilford (DMU), scientific coordinator of the Smidge Project,  emphasised that one of the biggest challenges is dialogue: speaking the language of middle-aged audiences and understanding their concerns. While youth audiences have been extensively examined by journalists, researchers, and institutions, people aged 45–65 are still too often assumed rather than properly analysed. Key Findings and Guidance for Journalists

Dr. Wilford presented research insights tailored specifically to media professionals. She emphasised that effective reporting on radicalisation requires dialogue inside newsrooms as much as outside them, particularly between journalists and editors. Editorial pressure, limited time, and the need for clicks can push journalists toward sensationalism or oversimplification.

Discussions also highlighted several pressing challenges journalists face. One major issue is keeping up with algorithmic systems; participants described the difficulty of staying informed about constantly changing platform algorithms, especially when there is little transparency and virtually “no control.” The growing influence of AI on social media further compounds this problem, as journalists expressed uncertainty about how their content is promoted and how visibility is shaped online. Participants also sought clearer guidance on language use, noting that certain keywords can unintentionally amplify extremist narratives or activate disinformation networks. Finally, while some newsrooms maintain internal editorial guidelines, many journalists reported significant gaps in standards dealing specifically with extremist and counter-extremist narratives. The question of how to disseminate SMIDGE findings, and how major NGOs could support broader advocacy, also arose. One participant wondered whether organisations might allocate more resources toward understanding and supporting interventions for this demographic.

The Importance of Local Press and the Urban–Rural Divide

One of the attendees noted a familiar challenge: “How do you transmit what the EU does to people in small towns and villages?”

Participants agreed that local press is essential for connecting European-level developments with real-life community concerns. Relying solely on large or national media leaves gaps that extremist narratives can exploit, particularly in regions with limited access to quality journalism.

Engaging and supporting local media, therefore, emerged as a key recommendation for future dissemination efforts.

Case Studies and Ethical Dilemmas: The ‘Family Tea’ Example

The interactive session featured a discussion on A Family Tea, one of the counter-narrative videos created by De Montfort University in collaboration with Hamlett Films. Participants found the video powerful, relatable and authentic. “We need to be seen and listened to, I can relate to this person,” Dr. Wilford noted, pointing out that the narrative encourages audiences to reflect on what they stand to gain or lose through ideological shifts.

However, as Ludmila Malai, Project Manager at Inclusive Europe, emphasised, the context in which such videos are shown matters enormously. Counter-narratives can easily become unintentionally amplifying if framed poorly or placed in the wrong environment. Journalists discussed how they ensure their own reporting avoids this trap, even when covering efforts to protect democracy in the EU or elsewhere.

Power, Politics, and Responsibility

The roundtable also addressed a structural challenge: policymakers themselves are often part of the 45–65 age demographic. As one participant remarked, they may be “powerful and not necessarily interested” in addressing the issue. Influencers and politicians, too, may lack incentives to meaningfully engage.

Journalists expressed interest in gaining more editorial guidance and practical tools to navigate these dilemmas responsibly, something the SMIDGE project seeks to support through recommendations, training materials, and upcoming dissemination activities.

Looking Forward: Dissemination and Future Outputs

To conclude, the organisers shared forthcoming dissemination plans, including the final SMIDGE conference and the release of new public resources. The session ended with a call for continued collaboration between journalists, researchers, and civil society to ensure that findings extend beyond academic circles and strengthen Europe’s democratic resilience.