Results of the fellowship program within the project “inforMD – against disinformation in the Republic of Moldova”

The Fellowship Programe was implemented in the period November 2021 – February 2022. The program aimed for young people interested in the subject of disinformation was organized by the Institute for European Policies and Reforms (IPRE) in partnership with the Institut für Europäische Politik based in Berlin (IEP) and the Institute for Strategic Initiatives (IPIS).

The main objectives of the fellowship program were:

• to motivate young researchers and participants of the media training to engage in the policy-making process;
• to help them improve their knowledge and practical skills in research development, data collection, and analysis;
• to empower beneficiaries so that they can act effectively as a representative of civil society, implementing their own ideas and projects

The program was attended by 6 young people who organized various activities such as research on the subject of disinformation in the Republic of Moldova, surveys and training for both adults and students.

Diana Socolovschi organized 4 workshops in which various subjects relevant to the topic of disinformation were discussed, such as practical tools for verifying the facts, identifying reliable sources of information and the degree of trust of citizens in the local press. The workshops were attended by 50 people aged between 16 and 60 years.

Jaclina Sîrghi organized 3 workshops for primary and secondary school students on disinformation in the Republic of Moldova. During the fellowship program, participants had the opportunity to interact virtually, during which time they identified fake news and posts / pages that regularly publish distorted information. At the same time, the participants were taught to report such situations on social networks.

Marina Cebanu developed a research study that analyzed the psychological aspects of manipulation and disinformation in online media. To better understand this impact, an online survey was conducted with 233 people between the ages of 14 and 64. Among the respondents, 92.3% said that they deal often with fake news, and 91% mentioned that certain media institutions intentionally create fake news in order to be disseminated on social networks. One of the recommendations of the study to reduce this phenomenon is the development and improvement of media education in schools and the implementation of extracurricular programs.

Mariana Ionel aimed to increase media literacy among teachers who teach media education in schools and to develop critical thinking skills among students. In order to achieve these two objectives, a series of webinars and workshops were organized. The events were attended by over 100 people from different localities in Falesti district. With the support of students from the training program, the fellow produced an article in the local newspaper and a radio report. To help teachers teach media education, a short guide has been developed that defines the most important definitions relevant to the subject of disinformation.

Felicia Țîcu prepared a research document meant to analyze the hybrid threats on the local press. The topics addressed were: national security in the information sphere; internal and external propaganda and examples from countries in the region in combating disinformation.

The Fellowship was implemented by the Institute for European Policies and Reforms (IPRE) in partnership with the Institut für Europäische Politik based in Berlin (IEP) and the Institute for Strategic Initiatives (IPIS). This activity was part of the project “inforMD – against disinformation in the Republic of Moldova”. The project was implemented with the kind support of the German Federal Foreign Office (Auswärtiges Amt).