More information
Description
Today, Poland is the centre of the fight against the rights of LGBTQ people and women, mentioned for example by Freedom House, Amnesty International, and Human Rights Watch. The first link in the hate chain on social media is often organized disinformation, leading in fact to violence. Independent journalism in Poland is shrinking. Public funds are an effective means of putting pressure on the media. In the Reporters sans Frontières press freedom barometer, Poland dropped to 64th place in 2021 from 18th place in 2015. This project addresses the lack of investigative media permanently monitoring topics such as organized disinformation targeted at human rights, and will enhance cooperation between journalists and watchdog organizations in Poland. We will produce and activate the Extremism Tracker – documenting the activities of radical groups and organizations that conduct disinformation campaigns, spread hate (for example towards women, LGBTQ people), and undermine trust in science/medicine (anti-vaccination movement, climate change denial). The journalist investigations conducted in the Tracker will be published in the national media as well. We will preserve competencies and cooperation between journalists and watchdog organizations. We will conduct two webinars and three workshops on organized disinformation campaigns directed towards human rights. Public awareness and knowledge of groups that spread xenophobia, homophobia, racism, and hate speech, and of unseen elements of manipulation, undermining human rights will increase, in effect – greater resilience to manipulation on the Internet. 25 people in the journalism and watchdog community will enhance their ability to react to organized disinformation and cooperation between these two groups. The texts in the Tracker will reach an audience of tens of thousands, and 25 people in the journalism and watchdog community will participate in awareness-raising activities.
Summary of project results
The project responds to the problem of organised disinformation against human rights and the lack of an investigative medium to monitor this issue. Poland has been at the centre of the fight against LGBTQ and women''s rights in recent years, as highlighted by Freedom House, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and others. Organised disinformation is often the first link in the social media hate chain. Among other things, investigative media have exposed the backstage of the years-long campaign against so-called ''gender ideology'' in Poland and Central Europe. More recently, anti-vaccination and far-right organisations have organised online to protest against restrictions in the age of pandemics. Disinformation leads to real violence. There are real people, structures and money behind radical groups spreading hate. Under the right-wing government, money from state-owned companies has become a powerful tool to pressure the media, and the market for independent journalism in Poland has shrunk dramatically. In the press freedom index, Poland has dropped several dozen places to 64th (Reporters Without Borders, 2021).
The project developed and launched a service documenting the activities of radical groups and organisations that conduct disinformation campaigns, spread hate (e.g. against women or LGBTQ people) and undermine trust in science and medicine. The project''s journalistic investigations were also published in the national media. 16 qualitative investigative materials (reports) and a total of 59 publications - texts, multimedia materials, briefs, etc. - were produced. Three workshops were organised for journalists and representatives of watchdog organisations, as well as two webinars on organised disinformation and how to respond to it. The workshops resulted in a set of recommendations - a mini handbook - for improving cooperation between the media and watchdog organisations.
The project''s journalistic investigations were also published and discussed in the national media. They reached a wide audience and increased public awareness and knowledge about groups spreading xenophobia, homophobia, racism, hate speech and behind-the-scenes manipulation affecting human rights. As a result - to increase resistance to organised manipulation online. 48 people from the journalism and watchdog communities have improved their skills in responding to disinformation, and cooperation between these communities has been strengthened. The project promoter established contacts with 16 leading newsrooms, which improved the quality of their work by participating in the initiatives.