The UNESCO Chair at the EMIF Conference in Florence Discusses Structural Solutions to Disinformation

On December 2 and 3, 2024, Florence, Italy, hosted the international conference of the European Media and Information Fund (EMIF), under the theme “Disinformation: Systemic Challenges, Structural Solutions“. The event brought together experts and professionals from across Europe to discuss strategies to combat disinformation, focusing on long-term structural solutions applicable at different societal levels.

The opening session was led by Fabrizio Tassinari from the EMIF Management Committee and featured panels on topics such as the evolution of regulatory frameworks to counter disinformation, the monetization of misleading content, and the resilience of journalists and media professionals working in the field.

During the session titled “Boosting Best Practices in Media Literacy through Community Guidelines,” Fernanda Bonacho presented the work developed at the School of Communication and Media Studies (IPL) under the scope of the UNESCO Chair in Communication, Media Literacy, and Citizenship. Her presentation emphasized the importance of educational and community policies to strengthen media literacy as a critical tool against the spread of false information, highlighting ongoing collaborative efforts with GILM (Informal Group on Media Literacy).

The program included workshops on metrics for disinformation across platforms and countries, strategies to mitigate threats faced by journalists and organizations combating false information, as well as discussions on pseudoscience and effective communication against denialist narratives.

The event also featured a competition among EMIF-funded projects aimed at combating disinformation and strengthening media literacy across Europe. Sixteen projects were presented, with the audience voting for four winners who will participate in the Voices – European Festival of Journalism and Media Literacy next year. The winners announced during the closing session were: UDDOT – Maldita.es; EMILE – Università degli Studi di Firenze; FRAME – Les Surligneurs; AFuoco – Facta News.

The EMIF event reaffirmed its commitment to promoting structured dialogue and fostering practical solutions to combat disinformation, creating connections between various actors in the European information ecosystem.