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False News and Disinformation

A pair of hands holding a smartphone with the WhatsApp application open, with a background of Bolivian newspaper covers.

Repartiendo Verdades [Spreading truth], an initiative to combat hate speech and polarization in Bolivia through fact-checking

A project of Bolivia Verifica (Bolivia), with mentoring and support from Proyecto Desconfío (Argentina), seeks to promote dialogue, reflection and a culture of peace among Bolivian society by monitoring and verifying hate speech posts on social media aimed at vulnerable groups, and by distributing verified content through WhatsApp.

Map of the Caribbean with graphics depicting disinformation online.

Media literacy, journalistic collaboration and professionalization of the press: Areas to be strengthened to combat misinformation in Caribbean countries

Promoting media literacy in schools, stimulating collaboration among the region's media and journalists, and improving the training and working conditions of communication professionals are necessary measures to lessen the impact of misinformation in the Caribbean, according to a study.

Front cover of the Brasil Contra Fake website, launched by the Brazilian Federal Government (Image: Brasil Contra Fake website)

Brazilian government launches official fact-checking website and draws criticism from independent agencies

A new website launched by the Brazilian federal government with the official purpose of fighting disinformation through the use of language appropriate to fact-checking initiatives has prompted criticism from independent verification professionals and agencies, which see an undue appropriation of its format — which is, by principle, impartial and nonpartisan.

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In Venezuela, fact-checking coalition created to show how disinformation works

Venezuela has a favorable climate for disinformation and its government has taken advantage of the reach of social media to spread false information. A group of media and digital rights organizations have created the fact-checking network C-Informa to show how disinformation works in that country.

Covers of different newspapers of January 9, 2023 edition.

How to cover anti-democratic extremism in Brazil

Turning to experts, not normalizing anti-democratic attitudes, and providing the public with the necessary context about lies and misinformation are some pieces of advice from experts on how to cover acts by extremist groups, such as those that happened on Jan. 8, when former president Bolsonaro's far-right supporters stormed three federal buildings in Brasilia.

a newspaper with the phrase fake news

Journalists of the Americas use collaboration as a weapon against disinformation

The 'Disarming Disinformation' series of master classes was held on Nov. 17 and 18. Craig Silverman (Propublica), Patricia Campos Mello (Folha de S. Paulo), Claire Wardle (Brown University), and Giannina Segnini (Columbia University) made up the 'dream team' of instructors. LatAm Journalism Review (LJR) attended the classes and presents a summary of the most important points discussed.

Digitized globe

Fake News bill gets stuck in Brazilian Congress and it’s unlikely to be voted on before the elections; remuneration proposal for journalistic organizations is a sensitive topic

Among other measures to curb the spread of fake news, the bill stipulates the remuneration of journalistic organizations by large technology platforms. Proposal divides Brazilian journalists.

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Latin American fact-checkers join petition for YouTube to take effective measures against disinformation

80 independent fact-checking organizations around the world, including 11 from Latin America, published an open letter to the CEO of YouTube urging the platform to take effective action against disinformation and misinformation.

Disinformation panel speakers

Collaboration, technology and proximity to the public are weapons of Latin American journalists to fight disinformation

Betting on collaborative journalism, re-establishing a connection with the public, and incorporating the use of technology are among the effective measures presented by the panelists of “How journalism has reacted to waves of disinformation,” from the webinar “Journalism in Times of Polarization and Disinformation in Latin America."

Person putting a card in a ballot box in front of the flag of Argentina

Reverso builds a culture of accountability ahead of Argentina’s midterm elections

Speed and reach are the cornerstones of the second iteration of Reverso — a collaboration of Argentinian media organizations fighting election misinformation organized by fact-checking organization Chequeado.

Infotrición illustration

Infotrición brings the work of 15 fact-checking organizations to readers’ Internet browsers in attempt to debunk disinformation

For years, a virus has been spreading on the Internet and it seems to be increasingly contagious: false information. It does not matter if the context is a presidential campaign, social crisis or catastrophe, disinformation aims to spread. Social media, messaging services, and the web in general are plagued with false news. Over the last […]

Residents of Amazon communities are vaccinated against COVID-19 by the Peruvian Ministry of Health

Peruvian community radio stations struggle to combat disinformation about COVID-19 vaccines among Indigenous peoples in remote regions

LatAm Journalism Review (LJR) spoke with six journalists from community radio stations in the Peruvian Amazon that have been working to combat disinformation surrounding the COVID-19 vaccines.