• Priority Area Multidisciplinary Investigations on Disinformation in Europe
• Year 2023, 2024
• Country Austria
• Project Status Ongoing

Disinformation campaigns targeting the credibility of journalists and fact-checkers are on the rise in Europe, and elsewhere. Intimidation through – ostensibly organic – waves of online attacks on social media and propaganda sites, smear campaigns, and legal harassment are common tactics to silence journalists and undermine trust in independent media, thus creating a fertile ground for disinformation to grow uncontested.

A study published this April by Faktograf, a leading fact-checking outlet in Croatia, found that nine out of 10 fact-checking organisations in Europe have experienced online abuse or smear campaigns by politicians and public figures, with the attacks increasing during times of intense political activity.

The survey was a key output of the first year of the project “Decoding the Disinformation Playbook”, a joint initiative led by the International Press Institute (IPI), Faktograf, and the German daily TAZ that aims at understanding the tactics, techniques and protocols (TTPs) commonly used by purveyors of disinformation in their attempt to silence, intimidate and discredit the work of those working to expose their narratives.

In this second year, the consortium plans to put the spotlight on the European Parliament elections, expected in May 2024. The team will (1) collect further data on the anatomy of disinformation campaigns targeting independent journalists and fact-checkers in Europe, (2) equip newsrooms with a matrix to help them investigate these attacks, and (3) explore best practices among fact-checking outlets to tackle them in the face of key events such as crises or elections.

The consortium will use a hybrid methodology, including AI-based technologies to unveil the networks and unearth narratives buried in big data sets, fact-checking, investigative journalism and content analysis.