In recent years, Romania, Italy, and Bulgaria have faced increasing challenges from populist, anti-European, and extremist narratives. These discourses are shaping public opinion more and more, fueling distrust in the European Union and encouraging sovereignist ideologies. At the same time, these countries share a set of vulnerabilities: low awareness of disinformation, high trust in media without critical verification, and a declining European identity, making citizens more susceptible to manipulation.
To address these issues, the WHOs and HOWs project brings together key actors from Romania, Bulgaria, and Italy, including civil society organizations, media professionals, and community leaders, to better understand and counteract the disinformation trends that undermine trust in the EU.
Our Mission
Our project aims to identify, map, and expose the themes, actors, and channels through which EU-related disinformation spreads. These narratives are often difficult for the public to detect, making it essential to provide readers and media consumers with the necessary tools to critically evaluate the information they encounter.
Through a bottom-up approach, the project focuses on engaging local communities, particularly vulnerable groups such as youth and the elderly, who are disproportionately affected by disinformation. With this project, we aim to strengthen society’s resilience to manipulation by enhancing media literacy, promoting informed debates, and encouraging quality journalism.
Key activities
- Media monitoring & analysis: Identifying the main narratives and actors spreading EU-related disinformation in national and local media.
- Fact-checking & content creation: Producing evidence-based content to counter misleading narratives and ensure public access to accurate information.
- Community engagement: Organizing debates, workshops, and awareness campaigns targeting citizens, including diaspora communities, to enhance their ability to recognize and reject false news.
- Collaboration with experts: Bringing together media professionals, researchers, and civil society actors to strengthen cross-sector cooperation and share best practices in combating disinformation.
Why does it matter?
Disinformation is not just a media problem—it has tangible effects on democratic processes, public trust, and social cohesion. Without strong countermeasures, these narratives can influence electoral outcomes, polarize societies, and weaken democratic institutions. If we equip citizens with the necessary tools to critically engage with information, we can build a more resilient and informed society capable of defending democratic values and the European project.
Partners & Details
The project is implemented by:
- Romanian Centre for European Policies (CRPE)
- G4Media
- Freedom House Romania
Co-funded by the European Commission
Implementation period: October 1, 2022 – November 30, 2024
Consortium: Romanian Centre for European Policies (CRPE), G4Media, Freedom House Romania, Centre for the Study of Democracy (BG), AMAPOLA (IT).
Image source: European Union