The Verified Debates project, led by Verificat, addresses the critical challenge of misinformation in political and public discourse. It introduces a unique approach that blends prebunking and real-time fact-checking, aiming to make fact-based discussion a cultural norm in political dialogue. This initiative not only seeks to ensure accuracy during debates but also to foster alliances with media, civil society, and political actors to promote a broader awareness of the value of verified information.
Following a successful pilot during the 2023 Barcelona municipal elections, the project is being scaled to include three thematic debates over 8 months, focusing on topics highly susceptible to misinformation, such as digital devices in education, anti-feminist radicalization, and housing policies.
The debates, supported by media partner La Vanguardia, are designed to maximize impact and visibility. Each event is preceded by a thematic prebunking microsite, equipping participants and the public with verified data before the discussions. During the debates, a team of fact-checkers will verify claims in real-time, ensuring transparency and integrity. By building alliances and raising awareness, Verified Debates aims to create a sustainable, replicable model for data-driven discussions, enhancing public trust and contributing to a healthier democratic process across Europe.

BIC project will help Russian-speaking audiences in the EU, Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine detect and resist disinformation by the Belarusian and Russian media by providing fact-based content.

BIC will provide 11 mini-investigations into disinformation to debunk 55 fake news by Belarusian and Russian media using OCCRP investigative methodology.

In video episodes, BIC will rank the debunked fakes by their relevance to the current news agenda. For at least 1 fake in each episode, BIC will explain the methodology and techniques for identifying and debunking fake news, provide step-by-step guidelines and fact-checking procedures, analyze the fake news, break down its components, and highlight inconsistencies.

BIC will distribute content through YouTube, the website, Meta, and TikTok.

BIC will add debunked fake news to the Belarusian Interactive Catalogue of Fakes on its website.

As an IFCN member, BIC will tag at least 30 fake articles within The ClaimReview project to help search engines prioritize fact-checked content.

The project aims to counter disinformation in the context of Poland’s EU Council Presidency, focusing on its key priorities: EU enlargement, energy transition, and sustainable development. Its added value lies in addressing the growing threat of disinformation, particularly at a time when Polish euro-enthusiasm has decreased. The main objective is to raise public awareness, support media literacy, and contribute to the creation of well-informed citizens.
This will be achieved by debunking existing disinformation while implementing prebunking strategies to prevent its spread, as we believe prevention is better than cure and knowledge is the best vaccine against disinformation. This approach is crucial during Poland’s EU Presidency, a time when society will be particularly vulnerable to disinformation efforts, especially from external actors like Russia.
The project will feature a new podcast series, Truth Talks, engaging experts from all EU member states and Ukraine to analyze disinformation trends. These insights will be visualized on an innovative disinformation map, showing how fake news spreads geographically. The online conference, “Ukraine: EU Enlargement Priority Under Russian Fire,” will further foster discussion on EU enlargement, with key findings summarized in a report.
The project’s targets include the development of a European network of disinformation experts, enhancing media literacy in Poland, and increasing fact-checking capabilities. By establishing durable, structured tools to fight disinformation, the Guardians of Truth project will extend its impact far beyond the project’s timeframe, contributing to a more informed and resilient public.

The project Unmasking Truth: Combatting Disinformation on Prisoners’ Rights focuses on improving information about prison conditions as a contribution to a more trustworthy media environment in Europe. Led by Prison Insider, a global information platform dedicated to informing, comparing, and sharing testimonials on detention conditions, the project leverages the organisation’s existing content to empower key stakeholders with accurate, fact-checked data.
The project’s added value lies in its unique focus on prison-related disinformation. It aims to produce one investigative report and publish fact-checking articles and social media posts to debunk misconceptions. The content will be made available in English, French, and Spanish, challenging harmful narratives, promoting transparency, and fostering better public understanding of prisons worldwide.
Journalists from across Europe will participate in training sessions on Prison Insider’s methodology and human rights-based approach. The project will enhance Prison Insider’s internal capacity to create high-quality fact-checking content through collaboration with fact- checking and investigative journalism networks.
The main goals are to bring reliable information on prison conditions issues to the public, enhancing the capacity of European media to engage in investigative journalism and creating a network for sharing best practices among professionals. Target audiences include journalists, media organisations, prison staff, decision-makers, and the general public. Prisoners and their families will be empowered to advocate for their rights and influence policy decisions by providing authorities with trustworthy information.