Facts or Fiction? - Propaganda and Disinformation in War and Crises

The Russian war of aggression against Ukraine is not only being fought with bombs and missiles - but also with a digital propaganda offensive. Both parties are deliberately spreading false information on the Internet, leading to a battle for interpretive sovereignty.  Disinformation is an effective weapon, as conspiracy myths and propaganda thrive particularly well in crises and conflicts, and the attempt to establish the truth becomes a major challenge for both media consumers and journalists. The corona pandemic is the best example of this.

Part of the panel will be peace researcher Daniela Ingruber, political scientist Jakob-Moritz Eberl, as well as Katharina Zwins and Jakob Winter from profil's fact checking team faktiv. They will try to find answers to the following questions: What are the motives for spreading fake news? What methods do the propagandists use? What options do serious journalists have when even state institutions spread half-truths and lies? Where do editorial offices reach their limits in research? And how can responsible recipients avoid falling for false information?