DEEP

In an era marked by emotional manipulation and growing distrust, DEEP project addresses the deeper emotional roots of disinformation.

Targeting young people aged 18–25 in Bulgaria, Germany, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Serbia, DEEP goes beyond fact-checking by introducing an innovative method based on the analysis of deep stories – emotionally resonant narratives that shape perceptions of truth and authority. DEEP strengthens media literacy and emotional intelligence, helping youth recognise and resist emotionally charged disinformation and misinformation. It aligns with key EU strategies (European Democracy Action Plan, Digital Education Action Plan, EU Youth Strategy) and focuses on vulnerable, under-targeted regions. By mapping emotionally resonant narratives and joining cocreation workshops, young people design interventions grounded in their lived experiences and emotional realities, and that actively counter disinformation. Educators, youth workers, and civil society actors gain replicable tools, and policymakers receive youth-informed recommendations to combat disinformation. The project promotes democratic participation among youth, including marginalized groups such as minorities, by building emotional resilience and trust in institutions. It supports gender equality and non-discrimination through inclusive participation and disaggregated data collection. Institutional stakeholders are engaged to develop culturally relevant and scalable strategies to counter manipulation.

In total, DEEP will directly reach over 900 citizens, stakeholders and young people. By the project’s end, DEEP will have developed a cross-national framework using the Deep Story approach to strengthen emotional intelligence, emotional awareness, and critical thinking in response to disinformation – boosting democratic resilience across Europe. It empowers citizens not just to recognise and reject false information, but to actively shape a more resilient, inclusive and emotionally aware Europe.

Activities:

• Deep Stories Methodology Training
• Mapping Deep Stories in participating countries
• Modelling deep stories and their interplays with emotions, disinformation and democratic debate
• Citizen-centred co-creation events
• Stakeholder-oriented co-design and policy dialogue
• Delivering interventions
• Local final events and knowledge transfer
• Concluding Conference: Deep Stories Framework

Timeline: 01/02/2026 – 30/01/2028

Project consortium:

ASM RESEARCH SOLUTIONS STRATEGY SPOLKA Z OGRANICZONA ODPOWIEDZIALNOSCIA (Poland)

ASOCIACIJA MANO EUROPA (Lithuania)

UNIWERSYTET WROCLAWSKI (Poland)

CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF DEMOCRACY (Bulgaria)

FONDACIJA CENTAR ZA DEMOKRATIJU (Serbia)

ASOCIATIA GEYC (Romania)

BERGHOF FOUNDATION OPERATIONS gGMBH (Germany)