Our webinar on 5 December dove into the intricate world of disinformation as we unveiled the findings of our new comparative study that sheds light on trends and idiosyncrasies across the diverse European disinformation landscapes: narratives, emblematic cases, counter-disinformation communities, policy initiatives. The study derives from our acclaimed series of country factsheets, crafted together with our vibrant community, and published with the support of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom (FNF).
Adding a current perspective to the discussion, we zoned in on the impact of disinformation during the Slovak and Polish elections, especially pertinent in light of the forthcoming “super election year”. We uncovered recurrent narratives, potential threats, and the solutions implemented to safeguard the integrity of the democratic process. What strategies worked, what didn’t? What were the pivotal lessons that could be applied in the context of upcoming EU elections?
The webinar included a dedicated Q&A session the attendees could interact with our speakers, seek clarification, additional insights, and further exploration of specific topics.
Watch the replay of this webinar on our YouTube channel:
Speakers:
Michaela Ružičková, Infosecurity.sk
Michaela Ružičková is currently an editor in chief of Infosecurity.sk, the Slovak watchdog platform focused mainly on disinformation, propaganda, and cognitive security. She is also a research fellow for Adapt Institute, Bratislava-based think-tank oriented on defence and security policy. She has been working within the field of information security, monitoring, and content analysis for nearly three years. She received her PhD in political science.
Mateusz Zadroga, FakeNews.pl
Mateusz Zadroga is a graduate in history with a specialisation in military history at Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University in Warsaw and has been at FakeNews.pl since December 2020. He specialises in historical and military topics, Russian disinformation and the activities of movements of conspiracy theory supporters. In 2021-2022, he worked as a specialist in identifying disinformation in the InfoTester project, run by the Polish-Japanese Academy of Information Technology.
Maria Giovanna Sessa, EU DisinfoLab
Maria Giovanna Sessa is the Research Manager at EU DisinfoLab. She holds a Ph.D. in Political Science and has previously worked for research foundations, think tanks, and as a university teaching assistant. Her research interests focus on the use of disinformation in political communication, gender-based attacks, and international crises, including FIMI. Lately, she has been working around DSA enforcement, linking research and policy implementation.
The opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of EU DisinfoLab. This webinar does not represent an endorsement by EU DisinfoLab of any organisation.
