The competition “News Challenge: Truth or a Lie?”, an ALTER EGO MEDIA Group initiative implemented in collaboration with the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA) with the support of the European Parliament Liaison Office in Greece, has concluded successfully, confirming how crucial it is to foster critical thinking in the digital information era.
The competition, which ran from September 2025 to February 2026, builds on “News or fake news? Learn to tell the difference”, the innovative educational programme created by TO VIMA in cooperation with two ALTER EGO MEDIA Group media outlets: MEGA and in.gr.
The programme, which was made available free of charge through the NKUA e-learning platform,elearningekpa.gr, has attracted more than 1,500 participants since its launch in March 2025, making a significant contribution to the cultivation of media-literate citizens.
Participants were invited to identify and analyse a fake news story that had been presented in the media as factual, explaining the methodology they used to identify it and the social importance of its debunking. The submissions highlighted the vast scale and diversity of misinformation in the media, ranging from viral hoaxes—such as the mandatory implantation of microchips in EU citizens or the recognition of sex as an official sport in Sweden—to misleading images relating to international events and fabricated political and social narratives.
There were 172 entries in all. Of these, 112 were assessed in the first phase by the jury, which short-listed the top ten for the final round. More than 850 people then participated in the public vote, which was considered alongside the jury’s evaluation in selecting the final winners.
The winner of the competition was Mara Selvieri, with her entry: “From Canada to Iran: The Shifting Image – A case study in the deceptive use of visual material”.
The runners-up were Evangelos Liakoumis, with “Refugees demand the removal of the statue of Leonidas in Thermopylae”, and Katerina Schina, with “Mandatory implantation of microchips in all EU citizens”.
Detailed information available at: www.tovima.gr
The overall winner was offered a choice of educational awards, including a scholarship of up to 3,000 euros for postgraduate studies at NKUA, a scholarship of up to 5,500 euros for studies in journalism at the New Media Studies school (Training HUB), or participation in an NKUA e-Learning programme. The runners-up received annual digital subscriptions to TO VIMA or the historical archive of TO VIMA and TA NEA.
This initiative highlights the essential role modern media and the academic community can play in tackling misinformation. Through actions such as “News Challenge: Truth or a Lie?”, the ALTER EGO MEDIA Group is actively investing in cultivating informed citizens equipped to recognize reliable sources and resist the spread of fake news.
The competition represents a further commitment to strengthening news literacy and informed citizenship in an era where the credibility of information is a fundamental pillar of democratic stability and social cohesion.
