Shout Out UK

Defending democracy isn't a spectator sport. it requires critical thinking, media literacy, and active participation. Shout Out UK is proud to release our 2022–2026 Impact Report, detailing our work on the frontlines of countering disinformation, driving youth voter engagement, and protecting democratic resilience. The context couldn't be more urgent: • Only 19% of young people feel the current democratic system works for them. • Just 1% of teachers feel fully prepared to teach political literacy. • In a digital environment fraught with harms, 50% of 16–34-year-olds cite non-consensual deepfakes as a primary fear. Over the last four years, SOUK’s multi-faceted approach has delivered measurable change across the UK and internationally: 🗳️ Electoral Engagement: Registered over 700,000 young voters—including generating 451,000+ direct clicks to register via #BallotBound ahead of the 2024 UK General Election. 🎓 Upskilling Leaders: Trained 3,000+ educators, police officers, and frontline professionals. Our training in partnership with Ofcom boosted participants’ confidence in implementing prebunking interventions from 9% to 97%. 🎮 Youth Impact: Reached 1M+ young voters through educational campaigns and expanded our anti-extremism game, Pathways, to 43,000 RAF Cadets. 📜 Policy Reform: As Secretariat for the APPG on Political and Media Literacy, successfully advocated for media literacy to be embedded into the National Curriculum. 🌍 Global Reach: Reached millions through global initiatives, including our Media Minded podcast in West Africa and international training with the British Council. As our CEO & Founder, Matteo Bergamini MBE, reflects: "When you equip a young person with confidence and understanding of their democracy through political literacy, and inoculate them from disinformation through media literacy, you empower them to become a lifelong defender of truth and democracy." As digital threats evolve, protecting our information ecosystem becomes ever more vital. We invite visionaries, changemakers, and partners to join us in this mission. 📖 Read our full 2022–2026 Impact Report. #Democracy #MediaLiteracy #PoliticalLiteracy #YouthEngagement #Misinformation #ImpactReport #ShoutOutUK #EdTech

How do we tackle online misogyny, hold tech platforms accountable, and support young people navigating digital spaces? Earlier this week, Shout Out UK as Secretariat to the APPG on Political and Media Literacy organised a powerful joint meeting with the APPG on Men and Boys’ Issues at the Houses of Parliament, hosted by Lord Iain McNicol and  chaired by Mark Brooks OBE of the Centre for Policy Research on Men and Boys. Bringing together parliamentarians, experts, and civil society, the panel explored whole-of-society solutions to counter toxic online environments: 🔹 Inoculating Boys from Misogyny & Supporting Parents SOUK’s Matteo Bergamini MBE and Amelia Fairney, co-authors of Man Enough: How to Protect Boys from Online Misogyny, highlighted that boys are not born misogynists - they are often targeted during moments of vulnerability. Preventative media literacy, open dialogue at home, and school-based support are essential to build resilience before harm takes root. 🔹 Demonetising the Manosphere Eline Yara Jeanné and Alex Murray from The Conscious Ad Network presented findings from their Monetisation of the Manosphere report. They revealed how automated ad placements cause major household brands to inadvertently fund misogynistic content, calling for greater advertising transparency and platform accountability. 🔹 Defending Women in Public Life Jess Asato MP shared her personal experience taking legal action against the SpaceXAI platform, highlighting how non-consensual deepfakes and targeted abuse suppress women’s democratic participation and freedom of speech. A huge thank you to Lord Iain McNicol for opening the session, all the speakers, as well as guests from academia and civil society from the Molly Rose Foundation, UK Feminista, Everyone's Invited, Social Stamp, and UCL for driving a vital discussion on algorithmic harm, gaming safety, and systemic change. At Shout Out UK, we remain committed to expanding our counter-misogyny initiatives and equipping the next generation with the critical thinking skills needed to navigate the digital world safely. #MediaLiteracy #OnlineSafety #CounterMisogyny #DigitalCitizenship #EdTech #ShoutOutUK #ManEnough

Many women tell us they’re thinking about standing for office. Too often, one question holds them back: will I be safe? So we are grateful to see Shabana Mahmood MP, the Home Secretary, launch an independent review of security for people in public life. And we’re thinking of the families of those who have lost loved ones in public service. The scale of the problem is clear: The Electoral Commission found 55% of candidates at May’s local elections experienced harassment or intimidation, just as they did at the 2024 General Election. Safety doesn't start on election day - it has to be there from the moment someone puts their name forward. That’s why we’re working with our partners in the Women’s Democracy Group on changes to the Representation of the People Bill: ☑️ Candidates’ and agents’ home addresses kept private by default ☑️ Clear safety guidance from the Electoral Commission ☑️ Protection for candidates’ families and staff ☑️ An elections code under the Online Safety Act ☑️ Proper induction for everyone newly elected, including how to stay safe Politics needs you, in all your diversity. We want you to stand, and to thrive once you’re there! 🫶 The Jo Cox Foundation Centenary Action Compassion in Politics Online Safety Network 50:50 Parliament Shout Out UK Fawcett Society National Council of Women of Great Britain (NCWGB) Make Votes Matter University of Roehampton Electoral Reform Society https://lnkd.in/es9ZiTVU

The need for media literacy has never been more vital. We have today joined with more than 70 other experts and organisations, including Internet Matters, Molly Rose Foundation and the Media and Information Literacy Alliance (MILA) in writing to the government calling on them to make it a national priority. Media Literacy is a vital line of defence for democratic resilience and social cohesion, equipping young people with the critical thinking skills needed to recognise manipulation, resist radicalisation, and unite against the growing threats of polarisation and extremism. Read our full letter at link in comments. #medialiteracy #counteringextremism #SocialCohesion #CounterExtremism #DigitalLiteracy #CriticalThinking #OnlineSafety

This #BlackHistoryMonth, we’re #HonouringOurCommunities and celebrating the Black Londoners whose voices, achievements and courage have helped shape our city. From those who made their mark on London’s history to the communities shaping its future, every voice has a part to play. The GLA Democracy Hub has a range of resources to help you use your civic and democratic rights in London’s democracy 👉 https://lnkd.in/dY6Q7cwt Greater London Authority #BHM2026 #BlackHistoryMonth #NoVoteNoVoice

How do we protect young people from online extremism before they even encounter it? Debunking fake news after it spreads isn't enough. To truly safeguard the next generation online, we need to build cognitive immunity through prebunking. Join Shout Out UK Founder and CEO Matteo Bergamini MBEi for a special webinar hosted in partnership with CILIP, the library and information association School Libraries Group: 🗓️ Date: Thursday, 12 November ⏰ Time: 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM GMT 📍 Location: Online (Free for CILIP members) What you'll learn: Proactive prebunking techniques to inoculate young minds against misinformation. Practical tools for school librarians and educators navigating online radicalisation and censorship. How media literacy creates lasting resilience against digital threats. 🎟️ Reserve your spot at the link in comments. #MediaLiteracy #EdTech #SchoolLibraries #Prebunking #OnlineSafety #Disinformation #Prevent

Democracy is healthiest when every voice is heard, but young voters in Scotland face a complex political landscape, from navigating a "fractured franchise" to cutting through an overwhelming tide of online mis- and disinformation. To tackle these challenges head-on, Shout Out UK partnered with The Electoral Commission to empower members of our Youth Policy Development Group as peer researchers. Over six months in Glasgow North East, a constituency with historically low voter turnout, or researchers listened to 40 young people aged 17–25 across colleges, youth clubs, and community hubs. Our findings revealed a paradox: although young people value democracy, digital noise, mistrust, and a lack of information stand in their way. Key Research Highlights: 🗳️ 90% view voting as relevant to their lives 📱 100% use social media for political info & 100% have encountered political mis/disinformation 🤖 90% have encountered AI-generated political content & 80% have used AI tools for political info 👥 60% trust friends and peers as much as official government sources The top barriers? Information overload, deepfakes and mis/disinformation, and knowledge gaps about candidates and voting processes. 💡 Introducing the Educator Toolkit To bridge this gap, we've launched the Engaging Underregistered Groups in Democracy: Scotland Educator Toolkit. This free, practical resource is designed for teachers, youth workers, and community leaders. Co-designed with young Scots, the toolkit focuses on 5 key action areas: 1️⃣ School-Based Democratic Education: Integrate year-round discussions, mock elections, and debates on issues like housing, cost of living, and AI (60% said more school education would make them more likely to vote). 2️⃣ Community-Based Support: Empower local faith leaders, librarians, and youth workers as Community Democracy Ambassadors. 3️⃣ Co-Designed Digital Content: Reach young voters where they are on TikTok and Instagram with platform-native, bite-sized guides. 4️⃣ Peer-Led Learning: Train "Democracy Champions". Peer to peer conversations remove intimidation and make voting a shared social norm. 5️⃣ Democratic Media Literacy: Equip young people to spot deepfakes, evaluate AI content, and practice "Check In, Check Out" before sharing. 📲 Are you an educator, youth worker, or community leader in Scotland? Help us empower the next generation of voters. 👉 Read the full report and download the free Educator Toolkit at the link in comments and please share with your networks! #YoungVoters #DemocracyInAction #MediaLiteracy #Scotland #YouthEngagement #ShoutOutUK #ElectoralCommission #Glasgow #PoliticalLiteracy

On #InternationalTranslationDay, we celebrate the power of language and thank all those who have supported us with our resource translations 🌐 The GLA Democracy Hub is home to all our resources, including key information on registering to vote, voting and wider ways to have your say in BSL, Easy Read and 16 community languages. There's also a site-wide translation tool. Watch this video to find out more, then head to 👉 registertovote.london to explore for yourself. Greater London Authority #NoVoteNoVoice