SMIDGE
Social Media Narratives: Addressing Extremism in the Middle-Aged
The SMIDGE (Social Media Narratives: Addressing Extremism in the Middle-Aged) Project is a Horizon project stretching from 2023 to 2026. This project is dedicated to crafting counter narratives tailored for the 45-65 age group. Through an intricate fusion of methodologies, it scrutinizes the diverse spectrum of extremist discourses and narratives prevalent across Europe. This comprehensive analysis is achieved through social network analysis, textual and content dissection of extremist discourse, and a nuanced exploration of national and demographic specifics, encompassing surveys, focus groups, and interviews spanning six countries: the UK, Italy, Belgium, Denmark, Kosovo, and Cyprus.
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Drawing insights from this meticulous examination, SMIDGE orchestrates the creation of counter-narratives, educational resources, and training materials. These initiatives are positioned to bolster reflexivity, while also ushering forth multi-tiered policy recommendations. Notably, the project targets journalists and security professionals, pivotal actors tasked with presenting counter-narratives, combating fake news and dispelling disinformation.
Elevating the project's scope is a multi-disciplinary paradigm, encapsulating legal, psychological, technical, sociological, political, and anthropological dimensions. The project unfurls an array of content, from impactful videos to micro content like memes. Additionally, it delivers training materials catering to diverse audiences, including security professionals, journalists, and anti-extremist organizations. Policy briefs further amplify its influence. A repository of current media characteristics and a series of enlightening webinars further consolidate its contribution, serving as invaluable resources for future researchers and practitioners.
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SMIDGE takes the theory of responsible research and innovation (RRI) as its core conceptual approach to ensure that the project adheres to the highest ethical and quality standards. Therefore, the counter-content will be created through collaboration with stakeholders during co-creation exercises in the focus groups. The activities in the focus groups will also provide insights into the current and evolving discourse amongst those who, whilst not themselves currently viewing extremist material, may be vulnerable to its messaging.
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In this endeavor, Inclusive Europe assumes an instrumental role, spearheading dissemination and communication activities while actively participating in the research phase, particularly through the organisation of focus groups and the implementation of surveys.
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For more information, visit www.smidgeproject.eu.