Information disorders are now considered one of the main threats to democracy. With one of the highest information penetrations in Europe, Kosovo is no exception to disinformation. To discuss this global issue and its implications for Kosovo, NDI and USAID brought together civil society, journalists, and political party members for the second DISICON conference on disinformation. This year’s theme was the rise of disinformation in digital democracy. The diverse stakeholders and local and international experts shared their perspectives and experiences with information disorders in Kosovo and around the world, as well as best practices and recommendations for combating it.
U.S. Ambassador Philip S. Kosnett’s opening remarks underscored the challenge of separating fact from fiction, separating the possible from the impossible. He stressed that journalists have a particularly important role to play in combatting disinformation and that their first responsibility is to speak the truth as they choose what to write, publish, and share. The event also featured prominent speakers and panelists, such as NDI President, Derek Mitchell, and the editor and chief writer of The Fact Checker, Glenn Kessler.
The Disinformation conference attracted close to 3,000 live stream viewers, reached 32,000 viewers via national TV, and generated over 12,800 Facebook posts and 35,000 Twitter impressions. Events such as this elevate the topic of disinformation and expand awareness of disinformation’s impact on democracy and Kosovo’s development.
USAIDKosovo