Combatting  Disinformation while Supporting Civic Integration Process and Freedom of Expression

To raise awaness on disinformation and assist the civic integration process, the Office of the State Minister for Reconciliation and Civic Equality with the support of the European Union (EU), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the South Caucasus Field Presence Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) held a training for the representatives of media outlets working in the regions with significant ethnic minority populations. Journalists from Kvemo Kartli, Samtskhe-Javakheti and Kakheti regions learned about the negative consequences of the influence of disinformation on the process of civil integration and discussed ways to prevent their spread.

In her welcome notes, State Minister of Georgia for Reconciliation and Civic Equality Thea Akhvlediani shared about strategic directions of the State Minister's office - the policy of reconciliation and engagement, as well as civil equality and integration. The State Minister reviewed the challenges of disinformation in the process of civil equality and integration, emphasized the importance of dealing with it and the special role of the media in the said process.

“Disinformation threatens freedom of thought, the right to privacy and the right to democratic participation, as well as endangers a range of economic, social and cultural rights. It also diminishes broader democratic processes, undermining citizens’ faith in democratic institutions. Journalists can play a very powerful role in preventing spread of disinformation, as they are able to challenge falsehoods and present alternative viewpoints. Thus, today’s event is a great example of cooperation of State with allies in preventing of disinformation, especially containing stigmatization of minorities, that can lead to negative effect on human rights,” said Dr. Vladimir Shkolnikov, Senior Human Rights Advisor for the South Caucasus Field Presence of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Anna Chernyshova, Resident Representative a.i., UNDP welcomed the participants by stressing upon the importnace of the training that addesses one of the main challenges faced by democratic societies these days – disinformation and the intentional spread of false and misleading news. She said, “as journalists, you can – and must! – provide credible reporting and promote informed civic engagement. It is from your newspapers, websites, and broadcasters that communities can expect to access reliable information and understand the debates that shape their societies.”

During the two days, the media representatives also heard and discussed the issues like: warfare, tasks and technologies for spreading disinformation; influence of disinformation and propaganda in the process of public opinion formation; hate speech; the impact of media literacy on the effective implementation of journalistic activities; and the importance of media literacy of a multi-ethnic society in combatting disinformation containing by stereotypes.