What if football clubs also became places for media literacy education?

“Media and information literacy provides a set of essential skills to meet the challenges of the 21st century, including the spread of misinformation and hate speech, as well as the decline in trust in the media.” — UNESCO

In Île-de-France, Libraries without Borders (LWB) has been running media and information literacy (MIL) workshops since 2024 for young players at Red Star FC and CSM L’Île-Saint-Denis. The goal of the “Les @thlètes de l’info” program is to raise awareness among young athletes about misinformation, cyberbullying, and data protection, helping them develop critical thinking and responsible media use!

To support these workshops, LWB has also created an educational kit to help educators, coaches, and club managers lead activities on these crucial issues. Given the broad range of topics covered by media literacy today, schools play a key role in equipping students with the tools to navigate the internet and access reliable information. While media literacy is part of the school curriculum and is primarily taught by school librarians, the time dedicated to it varies greatly from one institution to another, depending on educational priorities, available resources, and teacher training.

“Being well-informed today means being able to think critically and make informed decisions—essential skills for understanding and defending one’s rights, getting involved in society, and finding one’s place in it. That’s why it’s so important to raise awareness from an early age, teaching children to recognize online traps and giving them good practices and reflexes that will protect them for life. But why should MIL only be taught in school?” Margaux Benchehida, project manager at LWB

True to its mission of reaching people where they are, LWB is exploring new playing fields: football clubs! Since spring 2024, the Red Star FC and CSM L’Île-Saint-Denis clubs have been hosting the “Les @thlètes de l’info” program, supported by the UEFA Foundation for Children. During breaks in their training sessions, about thirty young footballers aged 8 to 17 regularly take part in media literacy workshops run by LWB and their coaches. Reynald Pemot, a coach at CSM L’Île-Saint-Denis, explains:

“Our role as coaches is also to educate. It’s important for young people to learn while having fun and to be exposed to things beyond football. Sometimes, it’s easier for them to talk to us than to their teachers or parents. On the field, we build relationships, set the rules, prepare sessions, adapt as needed, add competition, or use rewards to keep them motivated.”

70%

of people aged 15-34 use social media daily to get their news. (Médiamétrie, 2023)

1 in 5

middle school students has been affected by cyberbullying. (French Ministry of Education, 2023)

91%

of 15-year-olds cannot distinguish between fact and opinion. (PISA, 2019)

LWB has created an educational kit to help young footballers understand misinformation on social media, cyberbullying, and data privacy. It provides easy-to-use resources and activity sheets to answer key questions: Why is it important to diversify your sources of information? How should you respond to hateful comments on social media? How can you protect your privacy online? What are your rights and responsibilities? One example is “Les Cyber Héros”, a media literacy activity program developed by LWB Belgium.

“Sports offer a great way to discuss these issues in a fun and engaging way. It’s important to do so in a safe space where young people feel comfortable and can have fun—away from the formal school setting. When they feel at ease, they are more open and receptive.” Margaux

Most participants in the workshops have already encountered online scams, social media intimidation, or rumors spreading in their schools. By combining sports challenges with media literacy exercises, LWB teams use real-life examples from the children’s experiences or current events.

“A few months ago, we held a session on cyberbullying, the same week that Vinícius Júnior, a Real Madrid player, broke down in tears during a press conference while talking about racism in sports. The kids had all seen the video on social media, and it immediately sparked a discussion among them.” Margaux

“During training, a young defender, Thibault, was skillfully dribbled past by an attacker. The moment was filmed and shared online, quickly spreading through his school. On one side, it was a great play; on the other, Thibault felt humiliated—especially since he was already struggling to make friends at the club. The incident led to bullying at school, making him want to quit football. Without BSF’s intervention, we might never have identified and resolved the problem.” Reynald

Since February 2024, 450 young players from Red Star FC and CSM L’Île-Saint-Denis have taken part in the “Les @thlètes de l’info” program. 25 coaches have been trained by LWB, and around 50 parents have also been involved to better support their children.

In 2025, LWB aims to expand the program to other sports clubs and distribute the educational kit on a wider scale so that it reaches as many people as possible. Coaches, educators, club managers, parents—let’s avoid a red card! Together, we can create a positive and constructive environment for young athletes, on and off the field.

(*Name changed for privacy reasons.)

© David Chiev