Playing games to better understand information: a look back at the Media Masters workshops in the South-West of France

08.08.2025.

In a world where information circulates at breakneck speed, how can you tell the real from the fake? This is the essential question that the Media Masters workshops, organised by Pistes-Solidaires, set out to answer. As part of the European project Media Masters - Enhancing Media Literacy, three fun and educational workshops were held between May and June 2025 in Pau, bringing together 59 participants from all walks of life.

A board game to decrypt misinformation

At the heart of these workshops was an innovative tool, the Media Masters board game, developed with European partners. This game, a cross between civic reflection and learning through play, tackles the major issues linked to disinformation, fake news, digital influences and the role of the European Union.

Each workshop was structured around a number of activities:

  • A memory game to identify the different types of information manipulation,
  • A "3 lies, 1 truth" activity on the European Union,
  • An extended session of the Media Masters collaborative game, enhanced by a digital application.

These fun formats enabled participants to question their own relationship with information, develop their critical thinking skills and gain a better understanding of the mechanisms of fake news.

A dual target audience: young people and senior citizens

Although the workshops were initially aimed at young Civic Service volunteers, they also reached an often forgotten audience: the elderly, who are more vulnerable to online manipulation. A session was organised at La Pépinière social centre, with an average age of 56. It was a great opportunity to encourage intergenerational exchanges on media issues.

This diversity of audiences enabled us to compare points of view and adjust the teaching tools to better meet the specific needs of each group. Overall, the feedback was very positive: 80% of participants felt more confident in their ability to analyse media content after the workshop.

A European challenge, a local response

At a time when 84% of French people believe that fake news is having an impact on societal violence (according to Ipsos, 2024), media education initiatives make perfect sense. The Media Masters project is fully in line with this dynamic, placing citizens - young and old - at the centre of a European approach to resistance to disinformation.

And this is just the beginning! Pistes-Solidaires is already working on developing new local partnerships to spread the word about the workshops to a wider network of players on the ground.

One thing is certain: playing has never been so serious.

To find out more about the project: Media Masters – Pistes-Solidaires