On September 23rd, 2025, Charles University gathered experts from the domains of media, digital technology, and education for CEDMO’s international conference. The conference was the occasion to demonstrate the university’s dedication to promoting discussion on important topics influencing our digital environment. This conference brought together people of various professional backgrounds, researchers, policy makers, journalists, educators, innovators, active citizens, and students, all determined to understand the developments and to find solutions. From trends tracking to new AI tools for fact-checking, the conference had a wide variety of topics and expertise from the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, and the European Commission.
The First Pour, presented by Lenka Kabrhelová, radio journalist and host of the Seznam Zprávy podcasts 5:59 and MDŽ, launched the opening of the CEDMO Café. She introduced the five keynote speakers. The conference, set just a few days before the Czech parliamentary elections, was placed in the current political context and highlighted the necessity for dialogue in times of disinformation.
The opening keynote was delivered by Václav Moravec, lead coordinator and chair of the Central European Digital Media Observatory (CEDMO), who warmly welcomed the attendees. He highlighted CEDMO’s ongoing activities over the past years, made possible through support from the Czech Republic’s National Recovery Plan under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, various European grants, and private funding. This diverse funding has ensured the organization’s independence in conducting research. Václav Moravec also noted CEDMO’s growing public engagement, pointing out that its website now attracts up to tens of thousands of unique visitors each month, serving as a kind of virtual café for the public. He framed the entire conference around the theme of “trust,” which emerged as a central focus throughout the event’s discussions.
The moderator then welcomed on the stage Milena Králíčková, Rector of Charles University. In her compelling speech, Milena Králíčková highlighted that Charles University, in its 677 years of history, has many times, in different periods of history, stood at the side of the truth and searched for the truth. She also showed that there was a co-disciplinary support of CEDMO’s research work, from medicine to social sciences, but also from the mathematical and physics faculty.
Following her address, Krisztina Stump, Head of Unit at the European Commission responsible for social media policy, the efforts to combat online disinformation and ensure information integrity, took the stage to explore the current challenges in tackling disinformation, particularly in the context of elections and the role social media plays in shaping them. She emphasized that disinformation is now recognized as one of the most significant risks to our societies and democracies.
To address this threat, she outlined the EU’s three-pillar strategy:
The first one: the Digital Services Act (DSA), the Code of Practice on Disinformation, and the last one: EDMO (European Digital Media Observatory), a network of independent hubs that brings together academic researchers, fact-checkers, media professionals, and media literacy experts across Europe, and which CEDMO is part of.
The next keynote speaker, Christine Tresignie, Head of Public Affairs Europe at Ipsos, a global leader in market research, shared insights into the perspectives of European citizens. In her address, she highlighted a growing sense among Europeans that they are engaged in a struggle for truth, while democracy itself faces mounting pressure. One striking finding from her research revealed that only 35% of respondents expressed satisfaction with the current state of democracy. This widespread distrust in institutions creates a fertile ground for disinformation, contributing to the current climate of overexposure. Tresignie emphasized that this environment fosters polarization, particularly among younger generations, who increasingly expect the EU to take action, something we saw addressed in the previous presentation.
The keynote speaker part concluded with Aleksandra Sobczak, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Gazeta Wyborcza. Aleksandra Sobczak delved into the specific case of Poland, where the cognitive war started in 2014. There has been a lot of foreign interference in Polish society through the use of social media, especially by Russia, but also with drones invading its airspace a few days ago. Russia is exploiting social media platforms to spread disinformation and uses bots and troll farms to reach a large part of the population and target their emotions. She had recommendations for the future of Europe: eliminate toxic algorithms by making them more transparent, and support journalism, as it is a weapon against disinformation. She also predicted a lot of disinformation around Poland and Estonia in the coming years, and that if we do not act against big tech giants, a lot of small media outlets will disappear.
Panels Recap: Insightful Discussions on Disinformation and Fact-Checking
Morning Panels:
The morning panels brought together distinguished professionals from various countries to delve into the observed trends in the field of disinformation, especially in Central Europe, and a focus later on Biomedical Disinformation.
Filter Brew Panel: Long Pour of Insight — Disinformation Trends in Central Europe
The first panel set the stage with an in-depth exploration of disinformation trends in Central Europe and their profound impact on democracy. Moderated by Lenka Kabrhelová (Seznam Zprávy), the discussion featured insights from Roman Pudmarčík (IPSOS Slovakia), Petr Gongala(Demagog.cz), and Krisztina Stump (European Commission).
The speakers examined how disinformation is impacting different countries of Central Europe as well as their neighbors. A key focus was the proliferation of disinformation during elections. The panelists emphasized the importance of fact-checking and education as tools. The session provided valuable insights into how to protect free speech while also regulating harmful content online.
Coffee Beans Panel: Quick Sips of Truth — Biomedical Disinformation in Focus
The second panel, moderated by Lenka Kabrhelová (Seznam Zprávy), delved into understanding how biomedical disinformation is rooted, why it takes root, why it spreads so quickly, and importantly, how we can respond. Esteemed speakers Ludmila Hamplová (Free Press Eastern Europe), Martin Komenda (Institute of Biostatistics and Analyses at the Faculty of Medicine of Masaryk University and the Institute of Health Information and Statistics of the Czech Republic), and Lukáš Kutil (CEDMO) shared their perspectives on this challenging infodemic.
The discussion covered the challenges of protecting the health of citizens while also making sure they are immune to disinformation. The panelists also addressed the responsibilities of authorities in managing health crises, such as pandemics, in person but also online. The session illuminated the importance of communication, community engagement, and infodemic management to maintain trust and ensure that disinformation as well as pathogens are not spreading.
Afternoon Panels:
The event was marked by three compelling panels, each shedding light on different facets of digital education, AI tools, and media literacy.
Espresso Panel: Concentrated Narratives — Fact-Checking and AI Tools Under Pressure
The first panel of the afternoon was moderated by Jakub Šimko (KInIT), who introduced the four panelists: Jan Fridrichovský (Demagog.cz), Jiří Matas (International Journal of Computer Vision), Jiří Špaček (Independent Consultant), and Peter Jančárik (Seznam.cz), who discussed AI tools for fact-checking but also media production. Thanks to their expertise, the session was more technically focused than the others.
The panel explored various dimensions of artificial intelligence, including the technology itself, its practical applications, the use of AI tools, and related policy considerations. A key point of discussion was the need to monitor the online space closely—particularly to identify viral content that may have been generated by AI and could contribute to the spread of disinformation. The panel emphasized that combating this challenge requires not only technological solutions but also strong human oversight. They underscored the importance of combining AI tools with human judgment to ensure responsible and effective use.
Latté Panel: Layered Realities — Foreign Interference and Electoral Integrity in Central Europe
Moderated by Veronika Frankovská, Head of Demagog.sk, the guests of this panel exchanged on Foreign Interference and Electoral Integrity in Central Europe. The panelists were Aneta Zachová (Euractiv), Ivan R. Cuker (CEDMO), a guest joined online, Jakub Kubś (GLOBSEC), Patryk Zakrzewski (Demagog.pl), and Ľuboš Kukliš (European Commission). Their different fields of expertise: fact-checking, data analysis, or even online governance, brought us insightful perspectives that also fuelled the debate.
The topic of Foreign Interference and Electoral Integrity in Central Europe was particularly timely, as the conference followed recent elections in Poland and Slovakia and took place just days before the Czech elections. The upcoming elections in Moldova were also part of the discussion. In the Czech context, one of the most persistent disinformation narratives centered on postal voting, which was portrayed as vulnerable to manipulation. Another narrative was that the Czech security service, in compliance with the constitutional court, was prepared to invalidate the elections based on alleged foreign interference from Russia (with about one-fifth of the Czech population trusting this claim). In both Poland and Moldova, a major theme of false and misleading information was anti-Ukrainian rhetoric, which played a significant role in shaping public discourse.
Bonus Brew Panel: Grounds for Literacy — Educating for Resilience
The last panel of the day was moderated by Jaroslav Valůch, who, like the other panelists, is a media literacy educator. The panelists were Aleksandra Monkos (Demagog.pl), Klára Karimaghai (AI dětem), Jana Magdoňová (Czech Radio), and Mateusz Meyer (Lie Detectors).
The presenters shared their real-world experiences and effective strategies for informing the public and verifying the accuracy of information. They emphasized the importance of collaboration and creative approaches, while also acknowledging the challenges faced by practitioners in an era of fast-moving information. A key message was the need to reach people across all backgrounds and socio-economic groups, stressing that accessible education is essential. The panel’s practical insights offered valuable guidance and inspired participants to strengthen society’s resilience against misinformation.
The Last Drop: Reflections on Resilience and Media Literacy
The conference concluded with a discussion on media literacy and education. The engaging discussions and diverse perspectives during the event provided attendees with a deeper understanding of the challenges democracies are currently facing against disinformation and foreign interference. They also had the opportunity to delve into AI tools to fact-check, but also produce media.
In addition to emphasizing the value of cooperation and preventative actions in the digital sphere, this event reaffirmed the contribution of professional and academic communities to the development of an informed and resilient society.
*The photographs were taken by Ema Dvořáková, and the video recording was produced by RTL (Charles University). Enjoy the atmosphere captured in the photographs.
*The conference received funding from the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Instruments Programme under the CEDMO 1.4 project 1 – Z220312000000, Support to increase the impact, innovation, and sustainability of CEDMO in the Czech Republic.
About the Project:
The project is funded by the EU Recovery and Resilience Facility and aims to enhance the resilience of the Czech and Central European information space against disinformation. It builds on the foundations of the Central European Digital Media Observatory (CEDMO), expanding its activities through innovative tools, research, and educational outreach to support media literacy and counter hybrid threats.
