Erasmus+ Youth Journalism for Sustainable Democracies
In an era defined by disinformation, social polarisation and growing youth disengagement from democratic institutions, Youth Journalism for Sustainable Democracies sets out to close the gap between young people and political information, using the languages, formats and platforms they actually use.
The project brings together three organisations from three countries: Asociația Apulum Forum (Romania), Stowarzyszenie 61 / Association 61 (Poland), and Associazione Culturale Ubik Art (Italy).
Running for 29 months in parallel with Pordenone's year as Capital of Culture, the project trains and engages young reporters and content creators from Romania, Poland and Italy in producing high-quality journalistic content for Gen Z and Gen Alpha audiences, the first generation to have grown up entirely in a digital world, whose oldest members will be eligible to vote as early as 2028.
What the project does
The project develops a full cycle of activities: from research to training, content production, dissemination and community building. A qualitative sociological study on Generation Alpha across all three countries opens the project, providing the evidence base for everything that follows. A four-day international training in Pordenone then brings together 20 young reporters and content creators to work with graphic journalism, humor and digital storytelling as tools for approaching complex social and political topics in formats that genuinely reach young audiences.
Young participants go on to co-produce 20 short video reports and 2 documentaries on topics relevant to Romanian, Polish and Italian youth, published across the partners' social media channels.
A free educational toolkit on using comics, graphic facilitation and video content in learning and youth work contexts will be made available to educators, youth workers and activists across Europe.
The project also organises two editions of CivicON, an international festival in Bucharest celebrating civic journalism, engaged arts and youth activism, gathering at least 300 participants per edition. A delegation will represent the project at the Thessaloniki International Media Summer Academy (THISAM) in 2027, and the project closes with a final dissemination event in Pordenone in December 2027.
Why it matters
Each partner brings a distinctive strength: Apulum Forum leads Gen, știri, one of Romania's most-followed youth news outlets; Association 61 runs Orientuj.się, the largest political media channel for Gen Z in Poland; and Ubik Art contributes deep expertise in visual storytelling, graphic journalism and community-based arts for civic engagement. Together, they form a consortium that combines editorial experience, digital reach and creative methodology, and a shared concern about the rise of far-right movements, media illiteracy and youth disengagement from democratic life across Europe.
Youth Journalism for Sustainable Democracies believes that young people don't need to be talked at about democracy — they need the tools, the space and the community to tell their own stories about it.
Main objectives and impacts 2025-2028:
Train at least 100 young reporters and content creators in best practices for youth journalism.
Promote civic engagement and active citizenship through educational and digital content activities.
Produce and disseminate 20 short video reports and 2 multilingual documentaries about political, social topics, European values, and identity.
Develop a pedagogical toolkit for youth workers, teachers, and activists on using video creation, humor, and comics to address difficult political or social issues.
Organize two edition of the CivicON Festival, an event dedicated to journalism, arts, and activism for democracy and youth engagement.
Reach monthly young users via social media to build an international community of young content creators and professionals, and enhance digital and journalistic skills.
Foster democratic participation and civic awareness among new generations of European citizens.
How do we ensure that future generations have access to unbiased information and journalistic content tailored to their needs?
How do we keep up with the evolution of technology and young people's media consumption habits?
This is one of the fundamental questions we are working on together with our partners, Forum Apulum (@forumapulum) from Romania and Stowarzyszenie 61/Association 61 (@mamprawowiedziecpl) from Poland, within the project Youth Journalism for Sustainable Democracies. The project is co-funded by the European Union through the Erasmus+ program. We’ve been working on this project since September 2025, conducting sociological research and organising future training sessions for young journalists. Until January 2028 we aim to train a group of young people under 30 in the use of humor and graphic journalism to address difficult topics, create media content relevant to young people.
Unfiltered: The Voice of Gen Z in the New D.I.Y. Zine from the YJ4SD Project!
We are thrilled to present the new "D.I.Y." (Do It Yourself) magazine, born from the Youth Journalism for Sustainable Democracies (#YJ4SD) project! This zine is a spontaneous printed expression focused on visual storytelling, civic engagement, and journalism ethics, created during the international training held in Pordenone in March 2026. The publication is the result of a joint effort by Generation Z youth from seven countries: Italy, Croatia, France, Poland, Moldova, Romania, and South Africa, without filters and without intermediaries. Inside the zine, six powerful and direct graphic journalism stories, born at the intersection of personal experience and collective urgency: they capture a very difficult historical moment, but they invite us to unite around what truly matters, respect for people, animals, nature, and our democratic future in the world. Download the digital version, read it and share it!
Generation Alpha in Italy: Findings from the #YJ4SD Exploratory Study
Generation Alpha lives online. But what do they actually think? We asked them. We listened. And what we heard surprised us. The Italian national report from the Youth Journalism for Sustainable Democracies project is now available for download. The study combines a quantitative survey of 211 young people aged 8 to 15 with 31 qualitative interviews conducted across Pordenone, Bologna, and Lucca. It maps how Generation Alpha navigates online life: what they watch, who they trust, how they relate to fake news, and what they actually want from the adults around them. The picture that emerges is more nuanced than the headlines suggest and more urgent.
Born in algorithms: comparative report from the #YJ4SD project.
This comparative sociological study explores the digital habits of Generation Alpha, focusing on children and adolescents aged 8 to 15 in Italy, Poland, and Romania. Conducted as part of the Youth Journalism for Sustainable Democracies (#YJ4SD) project, the research integrates the findings of three national reports into a shared analytical framework. The study employs a mixed-method approach, combining a quantitative survey of 1,717 respondents with qualitative focus group discussions and in-depth interviews. It examines how young people growing up in algorithmic media ecosystems interact with content, and what factors increase the likelihood of their civic engagement. By highlighting the critical role of informational curiosity and digital literacy, the report provides strategic insights on how to nurture democratic engagement in a generation whose primary social environment is the internet.
Open call: Training for Young Reporters & Content Creators (18–30)
Are you an aspiring young reporter, graphic journalist or content creator curious about new ways of telling stories through digital media, video, comics, and visual storytelling? Join us for a 4-day international training in Pordenone, Italy (18–23 March 2026) and explore how graphic journalism, humor, and digital formats can help create meaningful content for Gen Z and Gen Alpha.
All training activities will be in English.
All expenses, including accommodation, meals, and travel, will be covered, and the training itself is offered free of charge.
What are the new generations doing online? What would they like to see differently?
Help us find out through a survey dedicated to Gen Alpha (ages 8–15). By clicking the link, your child can share their honest opinion anonymously and safely: it only takes 6 minutes! The questionnaire is part of a study conducted by our association to guide future educational activities. Thank you for your support.
Youth Journalism for Sustainable Democracies. is funded by Erasmus+ KA220-YOU Programme and involves as partners Asociația Apulum Forum (Romania, lead) · Stowarzyszenie 61 / Association 61 (Poland) and Associazione Culturale Ubik Art (Italy).
The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the National Agency and Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
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