Mentire (meno) con le mappe. Il caso Glocal Climate Change

A large part of the European population, often of advanced age, is unprepared to deal with the current media landscape due to their low media literacy level. This concern resonates loud and clear while reading the conclusions of the Council of the European Union of 26 May 2020. Media literacy supports our ability to interact responsibly with the media, provides tools to counter the growing campaigns of disinformation and media manipulation, and strengthens democratic participation. A form of literacy includes Graphicacy, Data Literacy, or Numeracy, skills central to navigating in an increasingly data-driven society such as the European one. A society in which communication and visual information play an increasing role in the elaboration of information products. It results in a space in which the growing production of information and visual misinformation is not matched by adequate training for the public, which is often unprepared to deal with the complexity in which it is immersed. It is a space to which information designers can contribute by creating artefacts that, on the one hand, tend to inform in an engaging, transparent and accessible manner, and on the other, support the skills of the reader towards a greater understanding of the information conveyed.
In this context, this contribution introduces and reflects on the design choices behind the online project Glocal Climate Change (GCC ), which aims to connect citizens with the climate data that concern them. The project, developed through an infographic map and an interactive in-depth study page, supports the Graphicacy of readers towards a greater understanding and involvement in the information process, and greater climate awareness.