Building a society resilient to disinformation is not just an individual responsibility—it requires actively fostering a culture of solidarity, mutual support, and accountability. It’s important for targeted individuals and organizations to support one another, while media and politicians take responsibility for accurate and verified reporting. Additionally, the public sector, including state institutions and civil society, must actively work to expose disinformation, as this collective effort is essential for creating a trustworthy and safe public environment.
Strengthening Media and Digital Literacy
Effectively preventing the spread of disinformation requires comprehensive education for citizens at all levels—from children and youth to adults and public servants. This includes media literacy, which develops critical thinking, the ability to verify sources, and the skills to recognize misleading information. The most effective way to build literacy is by integrating these topics into school curricula and adult education programs, thereby strengthening society’s long-term resilience against disinformation.
Institutional and Legal Protection
A key part of combating disinformation is stronger institutional and legal protection for individuals and the public sphere. This includes consistent enforcement against hate speech, defamation, and the spread of false information that undermines dignity, as well as more consistent police practices for reporting threats. It is also crucial to improve access to free legal aid so that everyone, regardless of financial means, can defend themselves against attacks, and to increase the accountability of online platforms for the spread of disinformation. Such systemic measures protect vulnerable individuals and strengthen both legal and societal resilience against misleading information.
Support for Experts and Public Figures
Effectively addressing disinformation requires providing professional and systemic support to public figures and experts. This includes forming communication support teams to help craft clear and effective messages, as well as establishing networks for psychological and legal assistance to support victims of disinformation. Additionally, fostering a culture of dialogue and respectful public discourse in politics is crucial, as creating a respectful environment reduces tension and prevents the spread of misleading or hostile content. Such support strengthens the resilience of individuals and institutions and enables more thoughtful and effective communication in the public sphere.
Social Culture and Solidarity
To reduce the long-term impact of disinformation, it is crucial to foster solidarity and mutual support among targeted individuals and organizations. It is also important to strengthen the accountability of media and politicians, ensuring they do not spread lies, insinuations, or misleading information, while actively involving public institutions—such as parliament, government, and civil society—in exposing disinformation. This comprehensive approach helps create a trustworthy public space, strengthens societal resilience, and mitigates the harmful effects of false content.