Paolo Cesarini, Chair of the Executive Board of Directors of the European Digital Media Observatory (EDMO), delivered the keynote speech at the conference organized within the scope of the RESAID Project. In his speech, Cesarini evaluated the strategies to combat disinformation in the digital age and the European Union’s approach in this field and emphasized the importance of a rights-based approach.
‘Freedom of expression is also the right to access reliable information’
Cesarini emphasized that freedom of expression includes not only the right to speak and produce content, but also the right of individuals to access reliable information and form their own opinions based on that information. “Suppressing false content does not make it invisible; it often legitimizes it even more. Therefore, instead of suppressing more, it is necessary to explain more, to provide more context.” Cesarini said that in the fight against false or misleading content, informative and transparent strategies should be preferred instead of censoring reflexes.
‘Resilience is not only possible through individual consciousness but also through systemic transparency’
Cesarini said that in the fight against information disorders, it is not enough to increase the media literacy of individuals; it is also necessary to make the functioning of digital communication infrastructures transparent and to make these structures accountable. Emphasizing the responsibilities of platforms, Cesarini said, “It is crucial for the right to access information in democratic societies that AI-enabled systems are transparent about how they determine content visibility. Without knowing how algorithms work, we cannot effectively exercise our right to access information. This is not only a technical issue, but also a democratic one.”
‘Multi-stakeholder cooperation is essential for social resilience’
Cesarini emphasized that for the fight against disinformation to be successful, a partnership structure that goes beyond public institutions is needed. Researchers, journalists, platforms, academics, media literacy advocates and civil society organizations need to act in partnership, he said: ” Combating this problem is not only a matter for states, but for the whole society. The integrity of information cannot be protected without a multi-stakeholder effort.”
Noting that 14 national centers established across Europe, especially within the scope of EDMO (European Digital Media Observatory), are working together, Cesarini said that this cooperation aims both to support academic research and to promote reliable information. “The aim of the EDMO network is not only to flag fake news, but also to bring together academia, media literacy and policy makers to build a more resilient public opinion,” Cesarini said.
Click here to listen to the keynote speech.
The conference, hosted by Istanbul Bilgi University, addressed information disorders from a multidimensional approach with the contributions of academics from a broad interdisciplinary framework ranging from social sciences, law and media studies, psychology and security policies.
