Senior TV – producing information as a way of deepening media literacy and defending against misinformation

Abstract

Historically, media have always been a lens through which society witnesses and deciphers the countless events that make up the world. Today, disinformation is one of the scourges of society, and the elderly are regarded as being an age group most susceptible to its effects.             However, it is almost commonplace to consider that, despite the persistence of a historical distance, the older generations are not exempt from the incessant dynamics that the imposition of technological development represents in our society. Gone are the days of "laggards" (Rogers, 1995), a term used to characterize the technological gap that occurred among the elderly. As digital media perform numerous ritualistic and instrumental functions in this age group, they are currently “digital immigrants” (Prensky, 2001).             In this case, the ability to produce, create, and broadcast content stands out as a characteristic of a society that is increasingly participatory. By underlining the importance that video, television, and television information has traditionally for seniors, the Senior TV project is being developed at the College of Education of Leiria of the Polytechnic Institute of Leiria, in which, through a team of senior students (from the 60+ program of this school), television content of an informative nature is being produced (interviews and reports), and these students are responsible for all the inherent phases and processes (carried out outdoors and in studio) to the creation of these programs from the preproduction moment to the final one when the content is broadcasted. The results of this study allow us to suggest that, through the administration of skills and methodologies for the production of media content, in this case regarding television production, media literacy is increased in this age group. To this extent, it also allows us to consider that more informed television and media consumption about their production conditions could help combat misinformation, particularly in this age group.