[{"command":"openDialog","selector":"#drupal-modal","settings":null,"data":"\u003Cdiv id=\u0022republish_modal_form\u0022\u003E\u003Cform class=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form ecl-form\u0022 data-drupal-selector=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 action=\u0022\/en\/article\/modal\/9371\u0022 method=\u0022post\u0022 id=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 accept-charset=\u0022UTF-8\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHorizon articles can be republished for free under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EYou must give appropriate credit. We ask you to do this by:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 1) Using the original journalist\u0027s byline\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 2) Linking back to our original story\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 3) Using the following text in the footer: This article was originally published in \u003Ca href=\u0027#\u0027\u003EHorizon, the EU Research and Innovation magazine\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003ESee our full republication guidelines \u003Ca href=\u0027\/horizon-magazine\/republish-our-stories\u0027\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EHTML for this article, including the attribution and page view counter, is below:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022js-form-item form-item js-form-type-textarea form-item-body-content js-form-item-body-content ecl-form-group ecl-form-group--text-area form-no-label ecl-u-mv-m\u0022\u003E\n \n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n \u003Ctextarea data-drupal-selector=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 aria-describedby=\u0022edit-body-content--description\u0022 id=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 name=\u0022body_content\u0022 rows=\u00225\u0022 cols=\u002260\u0022 class=\u0022form-textarea ecl-text-area\u0022\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EFive fact-checking tips from disinformation experts \u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EThe modern era of disinformation can be said to have begun in the 1980s. Operatives from the then Soviet Union concocted the lie that the AIDS epidemic sweeping the world at that time was created in a government laboratory in the US.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EIn a vast, worldwide operation involving field offices, agents and huge investments in newspapers, radio and even publishing a book, for years the KGB pushed the fake narrative to undermine the US and its allies. Known as\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Operation_INFEKTION\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EOperation Infektion\u003C\/a\u003E, the disinformation campaign was used to sow doubt and create social and political tensions all around the world.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EEventually, the story was repeated in 80 countries and translated into 30 languages until the Soviets admitted to making the whole thing up in 1987. Despite detailed admissions by senior Soviets, the rumour persists to this day, nearly 40 years later.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESpreads like wildfire\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003ENowadays, modern social networks provide immediate access to information from anywhere, wherever you are in the world.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile disinformation is nothing new, it spreads much faster now. Often it rides on a wave of emotion through personal social networks. Disinformation comes from a variety of sources, foreign and domestic. It is a complex phenomenon with impacts in the real world.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\u0022tw-text-center tw-text-blue tw-font-bold tw-text-2xl lg:tw-w-1\/2 tw-border-2 tw-border-blue tw-p-12 tw-my-8 lg:tw-m-12 lg:tw--ml-16 tw-float-left\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022tw-text-5xl tw-rotate-180\u0022\u003E\u201c\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003Cp class=\u0022tw-font-serif tw-italic\u0022\u003EIt\u2019s only by understanding disinformation that you can tackle it.\r\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cfooter\u003E\n \u003Ccite class=\u0022tw-not-italic tw-font-normal tw-text-sm tw-text-black\u0022\u003EPaula Gori, Secretary-General and Coordinator, EDMO\u003C\/cite\u003E\n \u003C\/footer\u003E\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018It\u2019s only by understanding disinformation that you can tackle it,\u2019 says Paula Gori,\u0026nbsp;Secretary-General and Coordinator of the European Digital Media Observatory (EDMO).\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/edmo.eu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EEDMO\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;is an independent EU-funded project whose aim is to bring together a wide range of factcheckers, researchers and stakeholders to combat disinformation.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EEDMO is focused on the resilience of societies and looks at disinformation regardless of where it originates. It brings together a wide range of researchers and stakeholders in a consortium to understand disinformation and counter it.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018We bring together people, weaving together facts and evidence,\u2019 she said. \u2018EDMO acts as a community builder that brings together the stakeholders ensuring a multidisciplinary approach.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003ENot all disinformation narratives are fabricated and promoted by malicious actors. Sometimes, they start as a normal reaction to try to grasp complex situations. We know from research that emotions play a key role in the spread of disinformation, and this was confirmed again during the Covid-19 pandemic.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EGori recalls the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic, people were scrolling through social network feeds with a sense of foreboding. \u2018They were scared and were looking for information. The fact that the virus was new to the scientific community made it even easier to spread disinformation,\u2019 she said.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Whatever you were seeing on screen, you were sharing it, because you actually were fearing for your life and you were not taking time to think before sharing.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EIt is when online misinformation and false information is created and disseminated with the intent to intentionally deceive the public or to cause public harm that it becomes dangerous disinformation. That is the moment that we must react at all levels of society, together, to tackle the issue.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EThere are elements of sociology, anthropology, psychology, neuroscience, media literacy and more in that one impulse to share information with your friends and family, which is why \u2018the multidisciplinary approach is fundamental,\u2019 she said.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EEDMO is set up to support the creation of a cross-border and multidisciplinary community of independent fact-checkers and academic researchers on disinformation in the EU.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EEDMO has been enlarged to include national and regional research hubs, which are in a position to use their specific knowledge of local information environments. This will improve detection and analysis of disinformation threats and trends across Europe.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFreedom of expression\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EEven though EDMO is building resilience against disinformation, an individual\u2019s opinions about any particular topic is never in question. \u2018You have to guarantee freedom of expression,\u2019 says Lauri Tierala, Programme Director, EDMO.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018You cannot regulate disinformation away,\u2019 he said. \u2018You cannot have a Ministry of Truth.\u2019\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\u0022tw-text-center tw-text-blue tw-font-bold tw-text-2xl lg:tw-w-1\/2 tw-border-2 tw-border-blue tw-p-12 tw-my-8 lg:tw-m-12 lg:tw--ml-16 tw-float-left\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022tw-text-5xl tw-rotate-180\u0022\u003E\u201c\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003Cp class=\u0022tw-font-serif tw-italic\u0022\u003ECreating artificial dividing lines via disinformation leading to polarisation only weakens the whole society.\r\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cfooter\u003E\n \u003Ccite class=\u0022tw-not-italic tw-font-normal tw-text-sm tw-text-black\u0022\u003ELauri Tierala, Programme Director, EDMO\u003C\/cite\u003E\n \u003C\/footer\u003E\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018There are, obviously, legitimate reasons in every society for political differences,\u2019 he said. \u2018But creating artificial dividing lines via disinformation leading to polarisation only weakens the whole society.\u2019\u0026nbsp;In the Information Age, bad information can be highly damaging.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EThe war in Ukraine has made things even more complicated. In\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/edmo.eu\/2022\/03\/30\/how-covid-19-conspiracy-theorists-pivoted-to-pro-russian-hoaxes\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ea recent post on the EDMO website\u003C\/a\u003E, they investigated how social media channels that were usually centres of COVID-19 scepticism have suddenly pivoted to pushing disinformation about the Russian invasion of Ukraine.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EThere are many incentives to publish fake news and disinformation. It could be a power play by a nation state actor or an advertising play by a monetising\/financial interest. Some people then just share with their networks, believing they\u2019re doing some good when they\u2019re not, but without malicious intent. Disinformation has different origins and dynamics in how it spreads.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EUnfortunately, disinformation is here to stay. At times, it sinks to the level of being an existential threat by having a negative impact on public health and global issues like respondsing to Covid-19 or climate-change. In some contexts, it has been used to motivate violence and it has a negative influence in the public debate, especially when it\u2019s part of a complex web of interactions.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EFact-checking is an essential skill to bring to the table but EDMO has a broader mission to tackle disinformation and a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary way.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EInformed decisions\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EThere is an onus on each of us to make informed decisions. We choose to go our own way with the information that\u0027s available to us - red, green or blue, but we should have good quality information, argues Gori.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EEDMO is there to assist that process, she explains. It helps to increase awareness of disinformation for better informed decisions.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0027I would be happy to know that there is someone who actually makes sure I can do this,\u0027 said Gori.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWatch the EDMO video\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ciframe allow=\u0022accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\u0022 allowfullscreen=\u0022\u0022 frameborder=\u00220\u0022 height=\u0022315\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/europa.eu\/webtools\/crs\/iframe\/?oriurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2FspXYbsK2FEk\u0022 title=\u0022YouTube video player\u0022 width=\u0022560\u0022\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022tw-text-center tw-bg-bluelightest tw-p-12 tw-my-12 tw--mx-16\u0022\u003E\n \u003Ch3 class=\u0022tw-font-sans tw-font-bold tw-text-blue tw-uppercase tw-text-lg tw-mb-8\u0022\u003EDon\u2019t be an April Fool, Follow the Fact Checking Rules\u003C\/h3\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022tw-inline-block tw-w-1\/6 tw-h-1 tw-bg-blue tw-mb-8\u0022\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003ETommaso Canetta is deputy director of\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/pagellapolitica.it\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EPagella Politica\u003C\/a\u003E, an Italian fact-checking outlet and co-ordinator of the fact-checking activities inside EDMO. To commemorate\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/factcheckingday.com\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EInternational Fact Checking Day\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;on 2 April 2022, he shares his five top tips anyone can use for fact checking a piece of content they receive.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Col\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003EBreathe. Slow down before you reshare and take a moment to engage your critical thinking skills. Allow your fast-acting emotional response to pass.\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003ECross reference. Take the time to find a reference to the piece of news you are seeing from another source before passing it on. Use at least one trusted news provider and see if that piece of information is confirmed by other independent sources. If it\u2019s coming from an obscure social media source, it may not be trustworthy.\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003EAdvanced searches are available. Many search engines have an image search facility where you can search a photograph or screenshot. Sometimes a piece of content purports to be one thing with immediate consequences, but with a quick search, you can find it\u2019s from a totally different event in the past.\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003EGo to a fact-checking site to see if it\u2019s come to their attention. Some media organisations\u0026nbsp;invest considerable effort into verification and provide all their sources so that you can validate their research for yourself. Fact checking services to consider include\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/fact-check\/t-56584214\u0022\u003EDW Fact Check\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/observers.france24.com\/fr\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EFRANCE24 Les Obervateurs\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/factcheck.afp.com\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EAFP Factcheck\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/euvsdisinfo.eu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EEUvsDisinfo\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;amongst others.\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003ERemember, as a rule of thumb, if something is too good or too bad to be true, it probably is not true.\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\u003C\/ol\u003E\r\n\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Ch5\u003EThe research in this article was funded by the EU. 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