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

 The project DISINFO4BLACKSEA aims at investigating and uncovering networks, actors, and perpetrators, measuring the impact and the public perception (online and social media) towards disinformation exploiting Israel Hamas war in the Black Sea region. The project complements the partners ongoing efforts to counter the disinformation-related activities that Russia and increasingly China more recently in cooperation with Iran and/or other state or non-state actors are deployed to increase their influence and amplify/fuel divisive narratives at the EU borders/ in the European Eastern Neighborhood. The project is developed by a consortium of 5 entities from 2 countries, also targeting other 3 countries through subcontracting activities. G4Media (RO), a top independent news platform is the leader of the consortium. The partners are: 2 highly performant and experienced think-tanks: CRPE (RO) and CSD (BG), one fact-checking media platform: Veridica.ro, one sociological market research institute: Avangarde.

Using a combination of research methods, content monitoring and social media listening platforms, digital forensics, data-science, fact-checking and investigative journalistic practices, the project addresses and assesses

1. the production (or supply-side) of disinformation
2. the appeal to the general public and audiences impact on both media and social media of disinformation targeting Israel Gaza war in the Black Sea region
3. the potential impact of detected disinformation on the conflict dynamics, to different religious and ethnic groups
4. the swift in public perception of disinformation towards Israel-Gaza war.

The target groups: General public in RO, BG, MD, UKR and Georgia; Less resilient communities in the 5 countries: Muslim communities, minorities, the elderly; Experts, academia, media professionals; Key decision makers and political leaders, including high level public servants in charge of security, diplomacy, communication.