News Archives

Get to know a bit more in detail about the projects approved.

Name of the Project: Operation ClearSignal: Exposing Neo-Nazi & Sovereignist Disinfo Lead Applicant: Association of Investigative Journalist – Context Romania (Romania) Grant Amount: € 54.940,00 Over five monthly Plan–Investigate–Verify–Publish–Amplify cycles, operation Clear Signal integrates continuous open-source monitoring, in-depth investigative reporting (leveraging Ukrainian collaborator expertise), manual fact-checking, and real-time AI-driven TikTok verification to systematically expose and correct neo-Nazi and sovereignist propaganda, delivering the following:

5 in-depth investigations (3 000–4 000 words each), reconstructing extremist network structures and funding via leaked documents, expert interviews and OSINT tools (AHREFS, SIMILARWEB) App form. 25 fact-checks (10 manual; 15 AI-driven), auto-flagging and debunking emerging extremist claims within hours using our proprietary TikTok tracker trained on 400 000+ videos App form. Multimedia outreach: five ~90 s explainer videos and five text+graphic social posts optimized for Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok and YouTube—targeting ≥ 400 000 total views and ≥ 500 engagements App form. Added value: a replicable, EU-wide rapid-response blueprint, coordinated through EDMO’s FACT Hub, embedding Ukrainian collaborators and sharing anonymized protocols to bolster democratic resilience across member states App form.

Targets:

Youth (18–34): practical digital-media literacy tools. Journalists & CSOs: data-driven toolkits and briefings. Romanian diaspora: syndicated reporting via partner outlets.

Name of the Project: Memory Under Attack: Fact-Checking the Past to Protect the Present Lead Applicant: POST BELLUM SK (Slovakia) Grant Amount: € 53.020,00 Post Bellum Slovakia, in partnership with Post Bellum Czech Republic, is launching a six-month initiative to counter historical disinformation in Slovakia and Czechia. Amid rising distortions of 20th-century history, this project will address deliberately distorted, falsified, or decontextualised narratives related to totalitarian regimes, resistance movements, minority persecution, and the memory of war crimes. These topics are increasingly instrumentalised in public discourse for political, ideological, or propagandistic purposes, undermining democratic memory, and whitewashing authoritarian regimes. The project will establish a ‘Czechoslovak’ fact-checking unit to respond to manipulative historical narratives. It will publish at least 40 bilingual fact-checks using over 19,000 eyewitness testimonies and archival sources, focusing on topics like fascist collaboration, Holocaust denial, and communist repression. Fact-checks will be transformed into social media content, infographics, and short educational videos. Additionally, 5–10 “micro-lessons” will be developed with educators to support civic and historical education. A shared monitoring system will track cross-border and hybrid threats, such as disinformation related to Russia’s war in Ukraine and nationalist propaganda. The project will culminate in an online event presenting findings and policy recommendations. All outputs will be freely available, assisting educators, journalists, and civil society actors. By merging oral history with digital fact-checking, this project strengthens public resilience, media literacy, and the protection of historical truth and democratic values in Central Europe and beyond.

Name of the Project: From Federal to Local: Prebunking Disinformation in German Elections Lead Applicant: dpa Deutsche Presse-Agentur GmbH (Germany) Grant Amount: € 54.922,21 The project From Federal to Local: Prebunking Disinformation in German Elections, funded by the European Media and Information Fund (EMIF), aims to counter the spread of disinformation during regional and local elections in Germany. It targets young people, many of them first-time voters, who often consume political content through platforms like TikTok and Instagram, where misinformation is widespread. Led by the fact-checking team of dpa, Germany’s largest news agency, in collaboration with the youth media organization Medienebene from the Rheinland-Pfalz region and the GüntherHolland-Journalistenschule (GHJS) in Bavaria, the project shifts from reactive fact-checking to proactive prebunking: the production of short, engaging videos that pre-emptively debunk manipulative narratives before they gain traction. dpa will develop a “Narrative Blueprint” analyzing key misinformation patterns, train local partners in fact-checking and mobile-first content production and supervise the creation of 15 prebunking videos tailored to young audiences. The added value lies in its scalable approach and close cooperation between national experts and local youth voices—making complex information accessible, regionally relevant, and highly shareable. The project combines research, capacity-building, and media literacy workshops to strengthen democratic resilience from the ground up. All results, including the final Blueprint, will be shared openly to serve as a model for similar efforts in Europe.

Name of the Project: Czech Elections in the Era of Disinformation: The 2025 Parliamentary Elections Lead Applicant: Prague Security Studies Institute, z.s. (Czechia) Grant Amount: € 43.951,00 This project aims to reduce the impact of disinformation on the 2025 Czech parliamentary elections by strengthening the resilience of young and first-time voters and supporting public institutions. Led by Prague Security Studies Institute (PSSI) and Demagog.cz, it focuses on fact-checking via digital formats and bolstering government institutions with analytical tools to safeguard electoral integrity and empower citizens with accurate, trustworthy information. Over four months, the project will promote a reliable media environment by publishing fact-checks, enhancing the resilience of young voters against election-related disinformation, and supporting institutional coordination in responding to harmful narratives. Young voters, who rely heavily on social media and video content, are particularly vulnerable. Government stakeholders often lack the resources and tools to monitor and react effectively. To address these gaps, the project will deliver verified information in youth-friendly audiovisual formats, such as short videos, infographics, and an interactive quiz. In-person workshops will engage young voters with practical exercises and discussions to boost their media literacy and critical thinking before the elections. The team will also produce regular analytical reports and actionable recommendations for public institutions to improve responses, refine strategies, and strengthen strategic communication. Coordination among stakeholders will be enhanced through expert roundtables, post-election debriefs, and real-time communication channels to flag emerging threats. By targeting both citizens and institutions, the project offers a comprehensive, innovative approach. The impact will be multiplied by reaching young and undecided voters with creative content while equipping policymakers with advanced tools, including AI-supported fact-checking, to detect and counter disinformation effectively.