E-mpact – Together for a Participatory and Active Mobilization Against Disinformation was a project coordinated by Freedom House Romania, in partnership with the Center for Democracy and Human Rights in Montenegro (CEDEM) and Transparency International Moldova. The project aimed to strengthen media literacy skills and the ability to combat disinformation in Romania, the Republic of Moldova, and Montenegro. It targeted students, teachers, and high school pupils from all three countries, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, and sought to develop critical thinking, promote democratic resilience, and encourage young people’s civic engagement.
Throughout the project, Training of Trainers (ToT) sessions, interactive workshops, and a creative meme competition were organized, giving participants the opportunity to explore the topic of disinformation in an accessible and creative way. At the same time, the initiative promoted Francophone values and encouraged an inclusive, multilingual, and transnational approach, with the goal of creating a lasting impact through freely accessible educational tools and a regional media campaign.
Ionuț Careman, 17 years old, is an 11th-grade student at the “Mihai Stratulat” Theoretical High School in the village of Boșcana, Criuleni District, Republic of Moldova. As part of the project, Ionuț created a social media post addressing the way people react to the news and information they encounter on a daily basis. His work aimed to draw attention to the importance of taking a critical approach to the flow of information and to the need to analyse and verify information before accepting it as true. Through this initiative, Ionuț highlighted the difference between authentic information and content designed to misinform or manipulate.
In the interview below, Ionuț talks about the idea behind his creation, his experience of participating in the project, and what winning Second Prize meant to him. We also discover his perspective on disinformation and the role young people can play in combating this phenomenon.
PressHub: Tell us a little about how you came to participate in this competition.
Ionuț Careman: I ended up participating in this competition at the encouragement of my teacher, who motivated me to get involved. About two weeks later, I was due to come to Romania to take the Cambridge exam, and when I found out that the competition also involved a task in English, I saw it as a very good opportunity to practise my English while also gaining experience.
Honestly, I didn’t expect to win. I thought that a project of this level, especially one created in English, might be won by someone with more experience. I was therefore very surprised and happy when I found out that my project had been selected as a winner.
As for the idea behind the project, it came from something very personal. My family has two cats, and we had two others in the past who, unfortunately, are no longer with us. I have always had a passion for cats, so I wanted to choose a topic that was close to my heart and that I could talk about with genuine interest.
PressHub: When you applied for the competition, you mentioned that you had learned about it from your Romanian language teacher. However, we also noticed that you have a particular interest in and curiosity about the media and the phenomenon of disinformation. Even in your project, you included information and recommendations on how we can become better informed and verify what we see online. Where does this passion for the online environment and media literacy come from, and what made you become so interested in this field?
Ionuț Careman: My passion for this area comes, to a certain extent, from my family as well. We have always been used to staying informed about what is happening in politics, and I was taught to analyse things and make decisions that are as informed and balanced as possible. Given the recent history of the Republic of Moldova and the difficult periods the country has gone through, my family has always emphasized the importance of being well informed and avoiding extreme views.
During my teenage years, I began taking part in more and more competitions and projects related to politics, online safety, human rights, and the impact of technology on society. I also participated in robotics competitions, where I encountered topics related to media, disinformation, and the protection of users in the digital environment. I was also interested in projects about online safety and the way the development of artificial intelligence is changing how we interact with information.
All these experiences brought me increasingly closer to the field of media and made me want to understand how information works, how it can be manipulated, and how we can protect ourselves from disinformation. I really enjoy studying, discovering new things, and discussing these topics. I believe it is a constantly evolving field, especially with the development of technology and artificial intelligence, and that is precisely why I feel it is important to continue learning and getting involved.
PressHub: We understand that, alongside your projects, you have also been involved in volunteering activities. Tell us a little about your volunteering experiences, the projects you have taken part in, and what motivates you to contribute to such initiatives.
Ionuț Careman: Yes, I have been involved in volunteering activities since I was around 14 years old, so for almost three years now. I believe this passion also comes from my family, as my mother has always been involved in initiatives within the community where we live, and I grew up seeing how important it is to contribute to the place you are part of.
Over time, I have taken part in numerous volunteering events and activities, including alongside my Romanian language teacher and through initiatives organized within the local community. An important part of these activities has been related to environmental protection. I have participated in clean-up campaigns, including activities involving the collection of waste from different areas of the village, near the school, and around places where events are held.
I have also been involved in local initiatives alongside my mother and the local authorities, including projects through which we tried to encourage waste collection and recycling. For me, volunteering means more than the number of hours you spend taking part in an activity. It is about getting involved, recognizing a problem in your community, and trying, even through a small gesture, to contribute to solving it.
Ionuț’s story is, ultimately, about the courage to believe in an idea and the power to turn that belief into action. In a context where disinformation increasingly influences the way we understand the world around us, engagement, critical thinking, and each individual’s sense of responsibility become essential.
Through the “E-mpact” project, Ionuț demonstrated that change can begin with a single idea and the desire to find a different and accessible solution. The prize he received represents not only recognition of his work and creativity, but also encouragement to continue learning, experimenting, and transforming his ideas into projects that can have a real impact.
Related: Delila: A creative perspective on disinformation and the power of information
