SMIDGE Releases New Counter-Narratives: Challenging Misinformation Through Storytelling

The SMIDGE Project has released a series of counter-narrative videos, now available on YouTube, marking a significant milestone in its mission to combat misinformation, disinformation, and extremist narratives among middle-aged populations across Europe.

Developed through extensive interdisciplinary research and collaborative production processes, these counter-narratives exemplify the project’s commitment to ethical, and responsible research and innovation. The newly published content provides a practical and creative translation of SMIDGE’s research findings into engaging audiovisual materials that encourage reflection, empathy, and critical thinking.

Research-Driven and Ethically Informed Production

The development of the counter-narrative videos was informed by a broad range of SMIDGE research activities, ensuring that every stage of content creation was evidence-based and ethically robust.

Research into misinformation and conspiracy trends provided a comprehensive understanding of the current information landscape, helping to contextualise and position the counter-narratives effectively. Audience studies and sentiment analysis underscored the importance of emotion in engagement, guiding the script development to ensure that the tone remained authentic, non-prescriptive, and respectful.

In addition, focus group research highlighted the significance of humour, relatability, and familiar social themes in encouraging audiences to watch, reflect on, and share the content. These findings were critical in shaping the creative direction of the videos and their complementary digital materials.

Collaborative Filmmaking and Innovative Storytelling

The videos were produced through a partnership between De Montfort University (DMU) and Hamlett Films, a film company specialising in socially engaged storytelling. This collaboration translated complex research insights into compelling visual narratives designed to resonate with audiences aged 45–65 across the UK, Italy, Belgium, Denmark, Kosovo, and Cyprus.

A key example, the short film “A Family Tea,” explores the dynamics of misinformation within everyday family settings. The narrative illustrates how online falsehoods and conspiracy theories can strain personal relationships and distort perceptions of social and political issues.

The production process followed a clear ethical framework, guiding all stages of content creation, from concept development and scriptwriting to filming and post-production. 

Addressing the Challenges of the Digital Information Landscape

SMIDGE research identifies that many individuals within the 45–65 age group, though confident in their life experience and knowledge, may not possess the same level of digital literacy as younger audiences. Many continue to rely on traditional media sources and may therefore be more vulnerable to online misinformation, conspiracy theories, and extremist rhetoric.

The counter-narrative videos directly address these challenges, drawing on SMIDGE’s findings about the psychological and social factors that influence susceptibility to misinformation. These include distrust, cynicism, and emotional isolation, as well as traits such as high individualism or low self-esteem, regardless of educational background.

Sustaining Impact and Future Applications

The counter-narrative content developed through the SMIDGE project represents a valuable open resource with strong potential for long-term sustainability. It can be easily accessed and used by educators, teachers, media literacy organisations, community leaders, journalists, and security professionals. While the SMIDGE counter-narrative videos will continue to be evaluated to assess their effectiveness in fostering reflection, critical engagement, and behavioural change, the project consortium is also exploring ways to enhance their use and ensure their continuous improvement through future initiatives and collaboration with relevant stakeholders. Beyond the lifespan of the SMIDGE project, these resources will remain publicly available, serving as educational and policy tools to support efforts in countering misinformation, fostering critical thinking, and enhancing community resilience.

To watch all the SMIDGE counter-narrative videos, please visit our YouTube channel.