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Today's society is aging, and according to data from 2021 in the Republic of Croatia, 23% of the population is over 65 years old. Such a demographic composition impacts the biological, psychological, economic, and social aspects of society, requiring older individuals to adapt and become literate in new trends, particularly those related to digital technology and media literacy. The advancement of technology and the internet has brought numerous advantages in information exchange, but it has also led to various negative and unwanted phenomena. For instance, due to the unregulated nature of media and communication, anyone can now easily and swiftly fall victim to false or intentionally manipulated information, specifically misinformation, particularly on social networks. While legal solutions are still being sought for regulating the Internet space, which has evolved beyond state and organizational control in recent years, establishing its own norms, experts are now raising awareness about the media environment and its implications. For this study, a survey was conducted on individuals over 65 years old from Virovitica-Podravina County, with a sample size of 168 respondents, where, based on the conducted research, the profile of the respondents was analyzed using sociodemographic questions, their knowledge of terms related to misinformation and fake news. The main goal was to investigate attitudes towards trust in the media and the news they publish. Based on the obtained results, certain recommendations were given regarding further research and whether the elderly should be educated further regarding misinformation and fake news.
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1 Virovitica University of Applied Sciences University Sjever, Doctoral Study Media and Communication