Infodemic and Societal Resilience in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Poland
Pavel Havlíček
/ Ed. 21. 6. 2023
Although disinformation is hardly a new phenomenon, the internet has enabled the ultimate battle for hearts and minds, and social media have turned this issue into one of the most critical challenges of our time. Nurtured by these technological advances, similarly to a virus, disinformation quickly spreads, mutates, and rises in new or adapted forms resulting in societal disease. Combined with an actual disease outbreak, like a pandemic, an excessive amount of information, including false and misleading information, turns into an infodemic. Fortunately, we possess a range of tools and resources to combat this dire issue.
The background paper ‘Infodemic and Societal Resilience,’ jointly compiled by AMO, the Adapt Institute, and the EAST Center, delves into the persisting challenge of the infodemic and explores strategies to counter it while enhancing the resilience of societies in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Poland. The paper zooms in on the actors responsible for spreading disinformation in these countries, their tools, channels, and the ways in which their playbook has evolved during the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent outbreak of the war in Ukraine. Moreover, the paper provides a set of tools to counter the incessant waves of disinformation and build societal resilience in the face of this daunting threat.
The policy brief is joint work of Pavel Havlíček and Nikoleta Nemečkayová (AMO), Andrei Yeliseyeu and Veronica Laputska (EAST Center) and Peter Dubóczi with Michaela Ružičková (Adapt Institute).
The paper is a part of the project “Strengthening the Resilience of Czech, Slovak and Polish Societies Prior to the 2024 European Parliament Elections” supported by the EU. You can find more information about the project on its website.
Funded by the European Union. The views and opinions expressed represent the views and opinions of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the European Union or the European Commission. Neither the European Union nor the European Commission can be held responsible.
