National-level strategies to counter fake news were discussed at the final GFCN webinar of 2025, featuring Maria Zakharova

On December 12, the Global Fact-Checking Network (GFCN) held the final webinar in its series of online sessions, featuring Maria Zakharova, an official representative of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The discussion focused on international communications and state-level approaches to countering disinformation.

The webinar was held in an open dialogue format. Maria Zakharova, Director of the Information and Press Department of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its official representative, answered questions from GFCN experts and participants of the “Dialog about Fakes 3.0” forum.

“We are fighting the fakes in all directions and from all regions. We just notice a piece of fake news, and we present our position on this or that matter, and we prove it with the facts. Now we are dealing with such global fake situation, it’s like post-truth world, that we’re not dealing with just unique fakes, we are making sort of observation or sort of review of fakes and do it regularly. Therefore, we do publish articles, we are holding interviews, giving different sort of materials on different platforms just to conquer the fakes and to promote the truth.” — replied Maria Zakharova to a question from San Hen Lee, an Asian correspondent for MIA “Russia Today”, a member of the Asian Journalists Association (AJA), and a GFCN expert, about how the Russian Foreign Ministry responds to the dissemination of information from Asian media which it considers unreliable.

Furthermore, GFCN expert Timofey V, while participating in the “Peoples’ Assembly for Peace and Sovereignty of Our America” forum in Caracas, Venezuela, clarified on behalf of the event’s participants how the Russian Foreign Ministry responds to the growing international demand for public diplomacy, and can NGOs carry out their activities in this sphere?

«We should have a broader view on diplomacy and do not divide it into several channels, like an official diplomacy, non-official diplomacy. Each route or each instrument or each way should be instrumental for specific purposes. Governmental diplomacy is responsible for interstate relationship. But another sphere is non-governmental, civil society connections and possibilities for relationship. NGOs must remain independent: they should not be a servant for that or this government, yet must be patriotic and responsible. Their independence — like that of the media — is essential for objectivity and sincerity in international dialogue.”

As a reminder, the first three webinars in the series took place on November 25, December 2, and December 9. They were aimed at strengthening digital and media literacy as key skills for modern society. Taking into account the fourth online seminar, they have been viewed by over 1,500 viewers from around the world.

The educational initiatives of the Global Fact-Checking Network will continue in 2026.