Information Integrity Coalition - Presentation

News | Memory and Disinformation Studies | Article 27 September 2021

 

Today, civil society and media organizations formed the Information Integrity Coalition. The main goal of the coalition is to raise awareness of disinformation and anti-Western propaganda in society and to form a common national and public approach in response to these threats. This is especially important during elections when voters have to make an informed choice.

 

The coalition is based on democratic values, principles of freedom, equality, honesty, and accountability. The coalition is ready to work with everyone who shares these values, understands the dangers of misinformation, and is ready to contribute to the national and public strengthening of the country. Among them, the coalition is ready to cooperate with the general public, civil sector, media, activists, international organizations, and relevant state institutions.

 

The main directions of the coalition's activities will be:

 

Regular monitoring of disinformation sources, actors, and messages - research and implementation of response actions;

 

Improving state policy and legislative activity through research and advocacy;

 

Promoting the growth of the level of media literacy in society and informing the citizens of Georgia about how to distinguish facts from misinformation;

 

Cooperating with the media to ensure accurate, credible, and inclusive coverage of disinformation and related issues;

 

Active cooperation with the international community, which includes diplomats, international and research organizations, experts, researchers, media organizations and social media platforms;

 

Close collaboration with educational and research institutions to promote disinformation studies and encourage in-depth academic research on disinformation.

 

Disinformation and anti-Western propaganda are significantly harming the national interests of Georgia and its Euro-Atlantic aspirations, increases the polarization of citizens and tries to hinder the country's democratic development by having a harmful influence on public processes. The harmful effects of disinformation are especially severe when its target is elections, public health, or other political processes taking place within the country. In the face of the mentioned threats, it is necessary to develop a unified and agreed approach for society, which provides access to reliable information for citizens and their protection from harmful misinformation.

 

In the context of the upcoming elections, coalition member organizations are actively monitoring the information environment. With quick and coordinated action on the revealed misinformation, the coalition will try to contribute to reducing the harmful effects of misinformation on public opinion and improving the information environment.

 

Coalition member organizations are: the Institute for Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI), iFact, Media Development Foundation (MDF), Institute for War & Peace Reporting (IWPR), International Society for Fair Elections And Democracy (ISFED), The Georgian Charter of Journalistic Ethics, Georgia's Reforms Associates (GRASS), Tolerance and Diversity Institute (TDI).

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