GFCN Vice President: Defense Against Disinformation Requires Independent Thinking from Audiences

Intellectual independence among audiences must serve as a key defense against information pressure. This was stated by Daniil Bisslinger, Vice President of the Global Fact-Checking Network (GFCN), on October 29, 2026, at the Russia-Africa Media Forum, held at Moscow’s Gostiny Dvor. The media forum was part of the program for the third Russia-Africa Summit.

Approaches to countering disinformation and overcoming the information monopoly of mainstream media were discussed at a TASS panel session titled “Media Resources as a Tool to Combat Disinformation and Strengthen a Positive Image of Russia and Africa.” Moderated by TASS Deputy Director General Marat Abulkhatin, the discussion featured heads of news agencies from Namibia, Mauritania, Cameroon, Ghana, and Mali.

According to Daniil Bisslinger, cultivating the audience’s cognitive autonomy must be one of the primary responses to information pressure.

“Cognitive sovereignty is not about closing oneself off from the outside world. It is the ability of citizens to independently navigate information flows, recognize context, verify facts, and make decisions based on reliable data,” Bisslinger emphasized. “Our task is not to replace one information dependency with another, but to empower societies to shape their own worldview independently.”

The GFCN Vice President also urged newsrooms to maintain a critical mindset even when covering friendly narratives. A positive image of Russia-Africa cooperation, he noted, must be rooted in verified results.

“The fight against disinformation shouldn’t just protect the information spaces of individual countries. It must build a resilient system of international trust where Russia and African nations stand as equal partners,” Bisslinger concluded.

As a practical measure, he proposed that African news agencies establish a working group to develop a network of trusted channels for engaging with GFCN. This group would also coordinate protocols for responding to disinformation and outline shared professional principles and fact-checking methodologies.

Background:

The Global Fact-Checking Network (GFCN) was founded by TASS, ANPO Dialog Regions, and the New Media School to coordinate international efforts against disinformation. The association brings together over 130 experts from 55 countries.