A New Tactic In The Fight Against Disinformation

By this point, the prevalence of — and problems created by — disinformation or "fake news" is well-documented across the globe. Figuring out how to combat this phenomenon has occupied the minds of journalists, politicians and public policy experts for years now. In Europe, the topic is again on the top of the agenda as European parliament elections approach in late May.

In this episode of "The Europeans" podcast, the hosts talk with Jules Darmanin, who leads a new cross-border initiative of fact-checkers called FactCheckEU. One of the biggest problems with fighting disinformation in Europe, he explains, is that sometimes these rumors cross borders and then take on a life of their own — which is the problem his network is trying to tackle. A rumor that asylum-seekers in Germany have received vouchers for brothels, for example, originated in Germany and Austria but spread to Greece. Darmanin's group works to translate fact-checks into multiple languages so they can reach all the audiences affected by disinformation.

It remains to be seen how effective such a message can be against a problem that has many faces and spreads quickly online. But with European elections on the horizon, it's a worthwhile effort to examine and potentially a strategy worth replicating elsewhere.