Young people who are civically and politically engaged more often discuss important social topics and are involved in volunteering work both with their families and through their schools; they have more experience with the work of the local and central government, but also with civil society organizations, and are more educated and aware of the impact that the media and disinformation have in society. Hence, political institutions, schools, civil society organizations, the media and family take precedence in encouraging youth activism, which in turn is a challenge for those who work on youth education and socialization as well as the creation of youth policies.

ICS conducted the research on news consumption, disinformation recognition and civic engagement among young people, on a controlled sample of 345 respondents aged 18 to 29, with different demographic and socioeconomic characteristics (high school students, university students, unemployed and employed persons), conducting a field survey and three focus groups in the period from December 2023 to March 2024. The research is part of the “Use Facts” project, which is supported by the British Embassy in Skopje.