“Young People Facing Disinformation”: The Prince’s Government, in Coordination with the Council of Europe, Launches an Innovative Programme and a Call for Applications

As part of Monaco’s Presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, from 15 May to 10 November 2026, the Prince’s Government is launching an innovative programme built around the theme “Young People Facing Disinformation”, as part of the Journalists Matter campaign initiated by the Council of Europe. 

The initiative aims to raise awareness among young Europeans by providing them with tools for reflection and helping them identify authentic and reliable sources of information. At a time when digital platforms, social media and artificial intelligence tools increasingly blur the line between information and misinformation, media and information literacy has become a major challenge. 

With this objective in mind, the Prince’s Government, in coordination with the Council of Europe, will roll out a multidisciplinary programme extending beyond the period of Monaco’s Presidency of the Committee of Ministers. 

In the Principality 

A wide range of initiatives, the detailed programme of which will be unveiled shortly, will take place in October 2026, including a press conference, a public round table featuring specialists in the field, as well as workshops and debates within educational establishments involving international experts and Monegasque journalists.
An audiovisual awareness campaign will also be produced to complement these initiatives. Through a Socratic approach, it will encourage audiences to reflect on the mechanisms of information overload, conspiracy theories and disinformation. Drawing on the codes of fiction and situated somewhere between short-format series such as Bref or Migraine and social media content, these video capsules will be specifically designed to engage the campaign’s primary target audience: young people.

At the European Level

In the same spirit, the programme will encourage young Europeans not only to question information critically but also to play an active role in combating disinformation by involving them directly in the development of solutions. 

The highlight of the programme will take place on 9 and 10 November 2026, when nearly forty young people from across Europe will be welcomed to Strasbourg, at the Palace of Europe and the European Youth Centre. This high-level international conference, which will mark the conclusion of Monaco’s Presidency, will feature round tables and interactive workshops bringing together international experts, representatives of media organisations and institutions, young journalists and social media stakeholders to discuss, together with the young participants, issues relating to information integrity. 

The event will also mark an important milestone in the programme’s international development, as it will coincide with the launch of working groups composed of young people aged 18 to 30, selected through the call for applications described below, who will work over the course of a year on the development of practical projects promoting reliable information and quality journalism.  

Young nationals of Council of Europe member States wishing to take part in this initiative and attend the workshops in Strasbourg on 9 and 10 November are invited to submit a technological, artistic or eco-citizenship project via the online application form available on the Council of Europe website: Youth Facing Disinformation – Why Journalists Matter - Freedom of Expression. Application deadline: 1 July 2026.

Young people who do not wish to join a year-long working group but would nevertheless like to take part in the Strasbourg events on 9 and 10 November 2026 may apply through a separate call for participation, which will be open from 6 July to 1 September 2026.