menu
Weekly Online Magazine
ISSN 2544-5839
zamknij
Media Review image

16.05.2022 Media industry

Disinformation and Fake News. Experts Discuss Challenges for Journalists

RINF

The pandemic, followed by the war in Ukraine, triggered a massive wave of disinformation in media and social channels. Experts at the Impact’22 Congress in Poznań and the European Economic Congress in Katowice discussed effective strategies to combat disinformation.
Poczytaj artykuł wydanie polskie w wydaniu polskim

Disinformation and Fake News: Experts Discuss Challenges for JournalistsPhoto: PAP/S. Leszczyński

Widespread digitalization brings risks - among them, the ease with which lies and manipulations, often maintaining a semblance of credibility, can reach large audiences.

- Since the outbreak of the pandemic, the number of unverified reports reaching citizens has significantly increased. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has further amplified this phenomenon, noted Łukasz Świerżewski, a board member of PAP, during a discussion at Impact’22 focused on methods to effectively verify and eliminate fake news.

According to Świerżewski, news agencies like the Polish Press Agency (PAP) are on the front lines of combating public misinformation. Journalists must apply an "anti-disinformation filter" to all communications, especially those from external sources.


One example of efforts to reduce the spread of fake news is the PAP-operated platform fakehunter.pap.pl, where internet users can report potentially false information. Over the past two years, PAP staff have verified more than 2,000 reports.

- The increasing number of submissions indicates that society is becoming more aware of fake news and the dangers of allowing it to thrive in media and online spaces, Świerżewski said. - However, this does not absolve us from the responsibility of continually educating citizens on the need to screen and verify the information they receive, as those seeking to mislead us are constantly improving their manipulation techniques.

Verification? Few Attempt It


Recent studies show that while over 80% of Poles understand the concept of disinformation and have encountered it, only 5% attempt to verify false information - experts highlighted during the "Disinformation" panel at the European Economic Congress in Katowice.

- Researchers point out that, much like gossip in everyday life, false information spreads better. It`s more engaging and emotional, making it highly shareable, said Dr. Agnieszka Legucka, a lecturer at the Vistula University of Finance and Business and analyst on Russia at the Polish Institute of International Affairs.

SELF PROMOTION. Listen to the story of Larry King. Discover our #mediaHISTORY podcast

- Disinformation refers to any message intended not to inform the recipient truthfully but to manipulate by providing false information for a specific purpose, such as political or ideological, explained Dr. Małgorzata Molęda-Zdziech, head of the Department of Political Studies at the Warsaw School of Economics and expert in the Team Europe Direct Poland network. - The sender does this in a way that is not consciously recognized by the recipient.

- The best way to avoid falling for disinformation is to maintain a healthy distance. Take a deep breath and verify what you’ve heard from reliable sources, emphasized Dr. Agnieszka Legucka. According to her, credible sources include fact-checking portals that validate information. - A majority of Poles would like to see such portals funded and recognize the need for their existence.

Anti-Vaccination Accounts Spread Disinformation About Ukraine


- We try to react as quickly as possible by identifying the source of the information. We monitor the Polish information space, identify the origins, and track hundreds of accounts producing this disinformation. These accounts are surrounded by networks of people who believe in or find the content interesting and share it further, often unknowingly spreading fake news, explained Robert Król, Deputy Director of NASK for New Technologies for Public Policy. He added that his institute, along with fact-checking portals, continuously verifies online content.

Work In Media
- The war in Ukraine and the accompanying wave of refugees to Poland have recently dominated fake news themes online. "Some joke that Putin killed the pandemic. Anti-vaccination accounts have pivoted to spreading false information about Ukrainian refugees," noted Agnieszka Legucka.

She added that these narratives often originate from Russian disinformation and aim to foster anti-Ukrainian sentiment, fear, and anxiety in Polish society. For example, they claim refugees will be treated better in schools, hospitals, and other institutions than Poles.

- Disinformation targeting Poland is conducted on a large scale and cannot be underestimated. It is subtle and tailored to Polish audiences, as straightforward pro-Russian messages would not be effective in Poland. Its dissemination is highly complex, networked, and uses not only direct Russian sources but also anti-vaccination and far-right communities, concluded Łukasz Lipiński, editor-in-chief of Polityka.pl.

Share the article:

dodaj na Facebook prześlij przez Messenger dodaj na Twitter dodaj na LinkedIn

COMMERCIAL BREAK
Work In Media

New articles in section Media industry

Cyberviolence and hate disguised as a joke. The RAYUELA report on youth

Krzysztof Fiedorek
The study conducted in five countries reveals a harsh truth. Online violence is not evenly distributed. It is a digital map of prejudice that hurts the most those who stand out the most. "It’s just a joke." That’s how violence often begins. Young people go through it in silence.

Trust in social media. Youtube beats TikTok and X

Krzysztof Fiedorek
Do we really trust social media? A new study reveals major differences in how top platforms are rated. Trust goes where there's authenticity, not just algorithms. The role of people is growing while brand influence is fading.

Artificial intelligence in newsrooms. Three realities of the AI era in media

Krzysztof Fiedorek
According to a report by the European Broadcasting Union, many newsrooms already use AI but still do not fully trust it. Audiences do not want "robotic" news, and the technologies themselves though fast can be costly, unreliable, and surprisingly human in their mistakes.


See articles on a similar topic:

Radio in Europe. How Are Listener Habits Changing?

KFi
Radio remains one of the most popular media in Europe, but data from the European Broadcasting Union's report "Audience Trends: Radio 2024" shows clear changes in listener habits. The average European spent 2 hours and 13 minutes per day listening to the radio in 2023. This is 18 minutes less than five years ago but only one minute less than the previous year.

Print Advertising in Poland. Analysis by Polskie Badania Czytelnictwa

BARD
Analysts at Polskie Badania Czytelnictwa (Polish Readership Surveys) have compiled statistical data highlighting the reach, engagement, and opinions regarding print advertising campaigns. These insights are valuable for marketers aiming to plan and optimize advertising budgets.

New Technologies in Journalism. PressInstitute Study

BARD
Nearly 39% of journalists use their smartphone or tablet camera to record videos, while over 26% use the built-in camera to take photos that they later publish, according to the "Journalists and New Technologies" study by PressInstitute.

Information bubbles. Study of Instagram, Tik Tok and You Tube users

Urszula Kaczorowska
A staggering 96 percent of the time people spend online is spent on anything but consuming information. This, says Professor Magdalena Wojcieszak means ‘we have over-inflated the issue of information bubbles and disinformation.’

More in the section: Media industry

community

Facebook LinkedIn X Twitter TikTok Instagram Threads Youtube Google News Blue Sky Social RSS

Reporterzy.info - online media studies magazine. The world of communication from the inside. Media, journalism, PR and marketing. Data, reports, analyses, advice. History and market, law, photography, job offers.


Work in media

United States
New York • Washington DC • Los Angeles • Chicago • Houston • Phoenix • Philadelphia United Kingdom
London • Birmingham • Manchester • Liverpool • Glasgow • Edinburgh Canada
Toronto • Ottawa • Montreal • Calgary Australia
Sydney • Melbourne • Brisbane • canberra Ireland, New Zealand, India

advertisement

Flying Tiger





Reporter shopping

Reporter shopping

Affordable laptops, notebooks and netbooks
Affordable laptops, notebooks and netbooks
for writing
Digital SLR and compact cameras
Digital SLR and compact cameras
for photographers
Books and e-books about media
Books and e-books about media
for reading
Video drones and flying cameras
Video drones and flying cameras
for pilots
Gimbals for stabilizing video
Gimbals for stabilizing video
for those on the move
Software and apps for creative work
Software and apps for creative work
for digital creators
More occasions

advertisementMedia Review 24/7
Read books and e-books

Read books and e-books

Okładka Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man
Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man
Okładka The 40-Day Social Media Fast
The 40-Day Social Media Fast
Okładka Mass Communication: Living in a Media World
Mass Communication: Living in a Media World
Okładka Beyond The Feed: A Social Media Success Formula
Beyond The Feed: A Social Media Success Formula
Okładka Trust Me, I`m Lying: Confessions of a Media Manipulator
Trust Me, I`m Lying: Confessions of a Media Manipulator
Okładka Hate, Inc.: Why Today`s Media Makes Us Despise One Another
Hate, Inc.: Why Today`s Media Makes Us Despise One Another
more books and e-books

Reporterzy.info

More about us

Our tools and services

Contact


© Dwornik.pl Bartłomiej Dwornik 2oo1-2o25