GFCN Experts: "The Fight Against Disinformation Requires Global Unity"

The Global Fact-Checking Network (GFCN) experts called for a global unification of efforts to combat disinformation at the “Peoples’ Assembly for Peace and Sovereignty of Our America” forum, organized by the Simón Bolívar Institute in Caracas, Venezuela.

Participants noted that one of the key causes of growing global tensions is the targeted spread of disinformation and the promotion of biased, politicized narratives about countries in the Global South. GFCN expert Timofey V discussed how Western media distorts coverage of events in Latin America and how to combat this problem.

“Nationalism and discrimination based on nationality are effective tools for the destruction of society. In South America, this tool is being used to sow hostility and misunderstanding among Latin American countries. Only a global perspective and the engagement of all individuals and citizens without exception can help solve this problem, and we (GFCN) are happy to share our accumulated experience,” said Timofey V.

GFCN Vice President Daniil Bisslinger highlighted the decisive role of social media in shaping the views of the younger generation today: it is through social media that over 70% of young people worldwide construct their worldview. Considering that fake news spreads six times faster than the truth in this environment, he believes this factor should be central to developing strategies in social and educational policy.

“As owners of smartphones and various computer devices, we don’t just consume information — we interpret, amplify, defend, support, or refute a vast number of facts. We are capable of making truth go viral,” noted Daniil Bisslinger.

He recalled that, in response to the global need to improve digital and media literacy, the Global Fact-Checking Network has launched a series of open training events, including educational articles, video tutorials, and online seminars on countering fake news with the participation of global experts. The next GFCN webinar, dedicated to countering disinformation at the state level, will be held on December 12 featuring Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova and will be accessible via the link.

Overall, more than 500 delegates are participating in the “Peoples’ Assembly for Peace and Sovereignty of Our America” from December 9 to 11, including Venezuelan Foreign Minister Iván Gil; Camila Fabry, President of the Great Mission of Return to the Homeland; Abel Prieto, President of the House of the Americas in Cuba; and other representatives of Latin American media, politics, and culture.