Dealing with disinformation more effectively

Context

In Moldova, Prime Minister Dorin Recean’s Government is focusing on reforms and political change to converge with the European Union (EU) and improve living conditions in the country. However, media disinformation campaigns and paid protest events organised by the opposition and conservative circles are threatening stability in the country and thus the goal of EU ascension. They are also making society more and more divided. Furthermore, hate speech and violence against women are widespread in digital media.

Authorities lack the ability to identify, analyse and tackle manipulated information. They also require expertise to communicate in a proactive, target group-oriented and gender-sensitive manner in line with the course pursued by the Government.

Objective

Moldovan society is more resistant to disinformation.

Approach

The project is supporting the Moldovan Government in establishing the Government’s new National Center for Information Defense and Combating Propaganda, a unit for strategic communication. It advises the centre so that it can develop standardised processes for crisis communication and tackle disinformation. In addition, the project organises experience sharing across borders with similar centres in the Baltic countries, Ukraine and Romania.

It also promotes the technical and professional skills of government experts and managers so that they can identify, analyse and monitor false information. To this end, for example, it provides technology and offers training in using IT programs and documenting, analysing and presenting trends in social media.

Moreover, the project advises on political communication plans and supports test campaigns so that the Moldovan Government can improve its target group-oriented, context-specific and gender-sensitive communication.

Last update: October 2023