19.03.2025 Demagog led a seminar on recognizing the signs of disinformation on the internet for members of the Polish parliament from Koalicja Obywatelska (Civic Coalition). The purpose of the workshop was to equip parliamentarians with key and useful knowledge and competencies in the area of information verification.
Verification of information is especially important during the election period
As part of the Central European Digital Media Observatory (CEDMO) project, Patryk Zakrzewski, Vice President and Director of Education, and Marcel Kieltyka, Board Member and Director of Communication and PR from Stowarzyszenie Demagog, led a training on recognizing signs of disinformation on the Internet for members of the parliament. The meeting was aimed at showing effective methods of identifying false content and countering disinformation, which is particularly important during the election period.
Seminar: how to verify the authenticity of information?
The meeting was divided into key topic areas: verifying social media accounts, verifying the credibility of information, using AI in election campaigns, as well as disinformation narratives and freedom of speech.
During the training, parliamentarians had the opportunity to learn about data from the report: “Dezinformacja oczami Polaków,” which presented, among other things, areas in which Polish citizens are particularly vulnerable to disinformation. Participants also had the opportunity to learn practical tools that will help them independently and effectively verify information – both those found on the Internet and those provided directly by voters.
Parliamentarians gained knowledge on the steps to follow when encountering false and misinforming content, as well as how to respond to such information. The presenters also provided examples of effective fact-checking interventions. The subject of the use of artificial intelligence in conducting election campaigns, and in particular, how to flag AI-generated content, was also discussed.
The conducted training is another step in the fight against disinformation and building information resilience among politicians and public officials. The meeting provided a perfect opportunity for dialogue, exchange of experiences and discussion on forms of countering disinformation.