A research report into freedom of expression and addressing disinformation on the Internet. 11 ways of promoting high-quality information are identified and analysed. The resulting toolkit includes a wide range of responses, from policy and legislative measures to technological efforts and media and education literacy initiatives.

The authors argue that professional journalists are integral to this toolkit, since they are the ones that are able to track, debunk and deal with lies, while “ensuring that legitimate debate does not become a casualty in the fight against falsehoods.”

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, 130 UN member states and observers called for steps to counter the spread of disinformation; it has never been more important to strike the perfect balance between online freedom of expression and successfully fight for reliable information.

Editors: Kalina Bontcheva & Julie Posetti