“Ion Creangă” State Pedagogical University of Chișinău / Institute for Development and Social Initiatives "Viitorul"

organizes and invites You as an active participant in the International Scientific Conference "Inter/transdisciplinary approaches in the teaching of real sciences (STEAM concept)", 4^th edition dedicated to the memory of university professor Andrei Hariton, which will take place on November 01-02, 2024

The event is addressed to scientific researchers, teachers in the fields of Mathematics, Computer Science, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Geography, specialists in Educational Sciences and all those interested in these scientific issues.

Form of organization: ONLINE

Deadline for registration: October 11, 2024.

Deadline for sending the communication: October 18, 2024.

Conference Sections

1. Inter / transdisciplinary approaches in the study of mathematics (STEAM concept);
2. Studying informatics and information technologies from the STEAM perspective;
3. Implementation of inter /transdisciplinarity in the teaching-learning process of physics and technical sciences (STEAM concept)
4. Integration of STEAM in the process of studying biology, chemistry and geography.

You can download the article document template here.

The paper will contain 3-5 full pages, (pages are not numbered) typed according to the following requirements:

• the text of the paper will be written in Microsoft Word, A4 paper size, Times New Roman font, font size 13, line spacing 1.25 mm;
• the margin sizes must have the following dimensions: Top – 2,25 cm; Bottom – 2,25 cm; Left – 2,25 cm; Right – 2,25 cm;
• THE TITLE OF THE PAPER will be written in bold capital letters, using Times New Roman font, font size 13, centred; followed by the full name and SURNAME of the author (authors) (bold), scientific title, work position, Times New Roman font, centred, font size 13; then, from new line, followed by ORCID ID for author/authors, then, from new line, followed by institutional affiliation (department - for UPSC collaborators; institution - for authors or co-authors from outside UPSC);
• abstracts (200-500 signs or 75-100 words) in Romanian and English will be written without indentation, Justify alignment, font size 11;
• keywords: 3-5 words, in Romanian and English, placed after the abstracts;

• the basic text will be aligned left-right (Justify), and the first line of each paragraph must be indented at 1 cm;
• the content of the paper must refer to high-interest topics, according to the proposed theme for the debate; having originality and including personal experiences;

• the references must be inserted in the text of the paper corresponding to the bibliographic list, included in square brackets [..];
• formulas are incorporated in the text of the communication using the Equation tool;
• graphs, histograms, drawings, etc. must be numbered and placed in the text of the communication, followed by the title in bold, centred. The drawings must be grouped, so as not to lose details;
• the tables are numbered and incorporated in the text of the communication centred, being preceded by the title, centred, in bold, and the text in the table with font size 11;
• the presented papers will be published in the official Proceeding of the Conference, with ISBN, UDC and indexed by ibn.idsi.md;
• The works can be presented in English, Romanian, Russian, French;
• The bibliography is recorded at the end of the paper, according to the SM ISO690:2012 standard.

Note! The papers are reproduced according to the authors' manuscripts, according to the recommendation of the profile department. The authors are responsible for the content of the works.

Important information

1. Each participant (author / co-author) will receive at the end of the Conference a diploma of participation indicating the number of credits!
2. Please access the participation form HERE (until October 11, 2023).
3. Participation fee without communication – 100 MDL (5 euro).
4. Participation fee with communication- 200 MDL (10 euro).

Fees can be paid into the following accounts:

Bank details (MDL)

IDIS „Viitorul”

Bank details (EURO)

IDIS „Viitorul”

Note! In case of payment at the Bank's branches, please indicate the name „IDIS Viitorul”

Address of the Conference

 “Ion Creangă” State Pedagogical University of Chisinau / Faculty of Physics, Mathematics and Information Technologies

(Tiraspol State University)

Chisinau, 5 Ghenadie Iablocikin Street.

E-mail address: steamconferencefmti@gmail.com

Contact telephone: (+ 373) 22 747919

The Institute for Development and Social Initiatives (IDIS) "Viitorul" completed the training program on critical thinking, media literacy, analysis, resistance to disinformation, and unbiased coverage of public interest information. The 35 journalists, students, representatives of media organizations, teachers who teach media education in schools, and members of the Audiovisual Council, were handed certificates of participation in the program. The program, part of the project " Supporting Critical Thinking and Resistance to Disinformation in Moldova", included 20 sessions, which took place between May 3 and June 22, and aimed to increase the participants' capacities in terms of disinformation, but also for them to acquire new skills and knowledge.

Alina Radu, director of ZDG, and the trainer of the last two training sessions within the program spoke to the participants about the techniques and measures of journalists for the public's resilience in the face of misinformation. "We are the people who must check the information appearing in the public space and pass it on to society, correct and verified, from several sources in a newsroom, with a master. News without sources, newsrooms without reporters and masters are of no use to anyone, they do not produce anything good for society. Our resilience is to offer for consumption what we know is right. The news must come from a newsroom, and have an author. Recently, newsrooms with owners have started to go up, and those without - are going down. People are starting to understand that they have a problem and want information verified by real newsrooms. The work of reporters has been denigrated a lot lately, because of some unwanted incidents in some newsrooms, but that doesn't mean that all reporters are bad and we shouldn't generalize."

Carolina Ungureanu, deputy director of IDIS "Viitorul": "In the Republic of Moldova, the media are often used for propaganda and disinformation purposes. Information is often used to manipulate public opinion, weaken social cohesion, promote certain interests, and, in serious cases, may even affect state security. This situation is amplified by fragile institutions and administrative systems, the lack of regulation of the online space, as well as the lack of media education in society. Here, in this context, we believe that capacity building through the training program organized by IDIS "Viitorul" in the sphere of critical thinking, media literacy, analysis, resistance to disinformation, and reflecting public information impartially is welcome in the Republic of Moldova".

Irina Bejan, representative of the Cahul Regional Center for Community Development: "I participated in this training program because, in the southern region where I come from, the need to promote media literacy is also felt. I also recently won a grant in this regard. It is a passion of mine to have discussions with citizens, with friends, and with family members. It is a start on our way to promoting critical thinking. The war divided us into two camps: pro and con. You can't say yes to war. In order not to end up in situations where society is divided, many people must understand how important it is to know what media literacy is and to be informed from several sources".

Andrei Bargan, director of Media TV and Radio Media from Cimișlia: "I have been working in the media for many years, both radio and TV, and I think that it is very important for journalists to be able to distinguish the fake from the truth, not to disseminate the fakes, but to fight. Until recently, I believed that there is no fake news and no propaganda, but after several pieces of training like this I understood that up to 30% of everything we have today is disinformation, fake news, and propaganda. I understand that it is a worldwide problem. Practically all the countries of the world are concerned with combating fakes".

Olga Dragălin, media education teacher at "Matei Basarab" Theoretical High School in the city of Chisinau: "It was a very useful program and should be recommended to as many people as possible to train in such an exercise. It should reach as many schools as possible and be taught by trainers with the same level of training that we had during the pieces of training within this program, the information should be disseminated to as many people as possible, from as young an age as possible. small, so that we have more people with critical thinking".

Cătălin Murzac, ULIM student: "This training program exceeded my expectations. My knowledge of disinformation has deepened. I learned about new tools for detecting fake information, I formed critical thinking thanks to the trainers I had. I have discovered for myself a new dimension of PR which, I think, can help me detect false information".

Svetlana Secrieru, representative of the Audiovisual Council: "I was most interested in the aspects related to disinformation and manipulation. Recently, together with my colleagues, we participate in several seminars and trainings related to disinformation and manipulation because the election campaign is coming up. Regarding the training program, I appreciate the fact that I had experienced trainers who gave clear examples and I assimilated everything I need to be better prepared in the future”.

The subjects of the training program were: media education and the national experience regarding media education; what is behind disinformation trends and what are the myths behind disinformation campaigns. Techniques to combat disinformation were discussed; false information as a component of disinformation; about experience and good practices at the international level in combating disinformation. The participants were also trained in the fact-checking chapter; the peculiarities of disinformation in the online environment; the role of new technologies in disinformation campaigns; but also the role of journalists in combating disinformation, etc.

Participants in the training program will have the opportunity to apply the acquired knowledge in practice and develop evaluations/case studies/monitoring/analyses on topics related to disinformation, media literacy, and critical thinking. A cooperation platform will also be created, where evaluations will be presented and recommendations will be made. 12 infographics will also be developed based on the relevant information contained in the results and findings of the studies, analyses, case studies, etc. A red flag tool will be developed, in the form of a guide for journalists and media users, focusing on how to identify false information.

Within the project, till now, a mapping of media institutions and civil society organizations active in the media space has been carried out. Meetings were organized with CA members to outline the project's objectives and the contribution that civil society can have in this area. A study will be made on how the most influential Moldovan media institutions reflect the internal and external problems that affect society, from the perspective of disinformation, the presentation of fake news.

The project "Supporting Critical Thinking and Resistance to Disinformation in Moldova," implemented by the IDIS "Viitorul" from January 2023 to October 2024, is financially supported by the Embassy of Finland in Bucharest.

-------------------

IDIS "Viitorul" is an independent think tank established in 1993 that combines social, political and economic research with strong advocacy components. The institution conducts applied monitoring research on several areas: economics, social policy, EU policies, regional development, but also security and foreign policy risk.

Follow us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/IDISViitorul ;

Subscribe to our Telegram channel - https://t.me/idis93 ;

Watch us on our Youtube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@idisviitorul8539 .

Hesitations or ignorance of rumors do not necessarily mean censorship. A media editorial team can consciously choose not to publish certain things if they fuel artificial panic in society. At the same time, even fake news can serve as a starting point for a well-researched news story, such as one about debunking a falsehood spread by a politician. There is no template for news. Each suspicious piece of information must be treated individually. These are some of the theses shared by television journalist Ruslan Grabari, the facilitator of sessions 13 and 14 of the training program on critical thinking, media literacy, analysis, resistance to disinformation, and unbiased coverage of public interest information, held on Wednesday, June 7, 2023, in an online format.

Speaking about the role of journalists in combating disinformation, the television journalist mentioned that during the 30 years of Moldova's independence, disinformation and fake news have probably developed better than the country's independence. According to the journalist, even during the Soviet period, there were fake news, half-truths, manipulation, etc. One example from that time is the Chernobyl disaster when people were told on television that there were only a few injuries, a few dozen hospitalized, that no one died, that nothing happened, and that everyone had to work and that the authorities knew what to do, only to later find out that it was the most severe nuclear catastrophe the world had ever seen.

"That is just one example of when the state did not tell the truth, and perhaps thousands of lives could have been saved if timely communication and necessary measures were taken. For several weeks, nothing was acknowledged, and even today, we are amazed at the scale of that catastrophe. It is just an example of what happens when the truth is hidden."

The journalist also said that the early 1990s were a period of transition for fake news, when disinformation left and the model of democratic, European, civilized journalism emerged, the first fragments of journalism as it should be, news that answered all questions and left no room for doubt, news from two sources, which was not the case before the 1990s. False information had not yet appeared or did not have such a significant impact. 

"We started to do quality journalism. We learned as we went, we were still behind, but it was good. The internet emerged, more and more news portals started to compete with television. Then came what we have today, Telegram, TikTok, and many other tools. All this development not only created competition for television but also polluted the informational space. People are confused; they don't know what to believe. Therefore, it seems like a new mission of the journalist appears when they should be a guardian not only of society, not just the fourth power in the sense that they should only keep an eye on the authorities, but they should also confront the authorities when they steal, when they do not respect human rights, etc."

Ruslan Grabari believes that journalists must also guard the accuracy of the news flow. This is the present. Artificial intelligence is advancing rapidly. If we already have robots that write fakes, distribute automated fake news, we wonder what will happen when we ask ChatGPT what is false and what is true. It will be confused and won't know what to do. "We also need to invent filtering tools to separate the wheat from the chaff, to understand very well what is true and what is false."

Furthermore, the facilitator mentioned that the media, in general, is lagging behind. Fakes are ahead, and the abundance of fake news, gives birth to propaganda, the effects of which are disastrous. Propaganda gave birth to World War II, the Holocaust, and the most recent example of propaganda is the war between the Russian Federation and Ukraine. 

„Those who write news every day must be responsible and aware that every word in the news matters. If we are responsible, if we do not draw conclusions, if we do not make value judgments, if we provide multiple opinions, why not a third one, people will consider what they hear. We are the ones who convey information so that the person, the viewer, can be informed because only an informed viewer can draw the right conclusions, have critical thinking, and make the right decisions”.

„Today, on television, we see a psychological war, when something is imposed on us, it is brainwashing the population, with a certain purpose. That is why I participate in these training sessions, to know how to protect myself from disinformation, propaganda because today is a certain state of affairs, tomorrow it can be even worse, and we won't know how to help ourselves, but we have students whom we prepare for life, we raise generations of people who are exposed to danger, and we are more responsible", said Lilia Toderica, a teacher and program participant.

"Since February 24, 2022, more and more people have been asking: how is it possible to have a war in the heart of Europe in the 21st century? Subsequently, another more painful question arose: how is it possible for such a large number of people to support such a shameful war? The answer lies in the propaganda techniques, disinformation, professionally used by the agents of an aggressor state. In this context, empowering citizens is already a necessity", believes Irina Bejan, also a participant in the program

The project "Supporting Critical Thinking and Resistance to Disinformation in Moldova," implemented by the IDIS "Viitorul" from January 2023 to October 2024, is financially supported by the Embassy of Finland in Bucharest.

--------------------

IDIS "Viitorul" is an independent think tank established in 1993 that combines social, political and economic research with strong advocacy components. The institution conducts applied monitoring research on several areas: economics, social policy, EU policies, regional development, but also security and foreign policy risk

Follow us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/IDISViitorul ;
Subscribe to our Telegram channel - https://t.me/idis93 ;
Watch us on our Youtube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@idisviitorul8539 .

Disinformation is increasingly seen as a national security concern in many states, but interest is being seen in other directions as well. For example, the founder of Wikipedia wants to launch a platform, called Wikitribune, to help counter the fake news that abounds in today's societies. There are at least five levels of disinformation, at least 10 techniques of online influence disinformation, and at least seven steps to verify the information.

The peculiarities of disinformation in the online environment and the role of new technologies in disinformation campaigns, as current trends in disinformation campaigns on social networks, were the themes of the XI and XII sessions of the training program on critical thinking, media literacy, analysis, resistance to disinformation and reflection information of public interest in an unbiased manner, held on Thursday, May 25. The trainer of the sessions was Aurelia Peru, Ph.D. in political sciences, coordinating scientific researcher.

According to Aurelia Peru, online/social media influence techniques include: hacking and the person involved in hacking activities is known as a hacker. Other techniques, such as counterfeiting and information leakage; type proofs "Potemkin's village"; bots; trolling; propaganda through humor; the ad hominem technique; "Gish's gallop" technique; transfer technique; labeling; and the photos.

The habilitated doctor in political sciences also mentioned that the verification of information can start from the analysis of the reputation of the institution/person spreading the information; from the evidence presenting them, whether they include facts or opinions, whether they are current or old; if other sources talk about the same information; from the analysis of the author's intention – to sell, inform or entertain; from the analysis of emotions, which can be of anger, own prejudices; but also from putting all the elements on the scale. 

“As with the sessions so far, today's assignments were just as valuable. Trends change, and we need to be informed about these changes, which are taking place and which affect us. If we don't know them, we can end up being misinformed", believes Andrei Bargan, a participant of the training program. 

"I know there is disinformation, but I didn't know that disinformation can have several levels. I learned on this occasion as much as I knew. I deepened my knowledge about disinformation, about new techniques, especially about those present in the online environment, which we encounter every day, but I did not know that they were disinformation techniques", said Lilia Stratin, also a participant in the training program.

"Today, more than ever, we need to know how we are being misinformed, although at first glance we might think it's something normal, and if we sat and analyzed a little if we had a little critical thinking, we would know how to avoid we are not manipulated", mentioned Ina Duca, another participant of the training session.

In the following sessions, the experience and good practices at the international level in combating disinformation will be discussed. Participants will also be trained on the role of journalists in combating disinformation, etc.

The project "Supporting Critical Thinking and Resisting Disinformation in the Republic of Moldova", implemented by IDIS "Viitorul" from January 2023 to October 2024, is financially supported by the Embassy of Finland in Bucharest.

--------------------

IDIS "Viitorul" is an independent think tank established in 1993 that combines social, political and economic research with strong advocacy components. The institution conducts applied monitoring research on several areas: economics, social policy, EU policies, regional development, but also security and foreign policy risks.

 Follow us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/IDISViitorul ; 

Subscribe to our Telegram channel - https://t.me/idis93 ; 

Watch us on our Youtube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@idisviitorul8539 .

"When we talk about fact-checking, in the context of disinformation trends, it is important to check who is the sender of the information, because we have the phenomenon of disinformation in general, but we also have some cases of the propagation of inappropriate facts or partially truthful information. In all cases, we must start by verifying who sent these messages", said Alina Radu, director of Ziarul de Gardă, investigative journalist, during sessions 7, 8, and 9 of the training program on critical thinking, media literacy, analysis, resisting disinformation and reflecting public interest information in an unbiased way, organized on Wednesday and Thursday, May 17 and 18.

Alina Radu explained during the sessions what fact-checking is and how it works; but also the techniques to combat disinformation, including presenting the tools available in this regard. "Everything we receive in the form of information is like a capsule. Be it political exhortations, information about food products, medicines, services, etc. Everything is a capsule, and someone wants to make us believe that this capsule is good for us, but we still have to check what is inside this capsule and if it can do us good", Alina Radu explained to the participants the essence of the process to verify the facts. 

According to Alina Radu, when you want to know what's up with a television, a newspaper, a magazine, a portal, or a web page, you have to check who it belongs to, including with the help of the web page https://nic.md/ro/whois/. With the help of other web pages, you can find out how truthful a photo or news headline is. About a newspaper, you realize how powerful it is if it has a space dedicated to basic information: who makes the newspaper, the printing house where it is printed, how many copies it appears in, who are the reporters, directors, contacts, etc. "If you have some names of reporters, editors-in-chief, you can realize what culture and identity this newspaper has and you can understand more easily what are the risks and problems that can come from this newspaper. Unfortunately, these internet newspapers are not obliged to have such an informative space and this complicates the verification and monitoring work", declared Alina Radu.

The investigative journalist claims that sometimes, some people, who are not malicious, share some information knowing what it is about and believe in this information. "All kinds of distortions and omissions of information happen on web pages. There are web pages where at first glance it looks like everything is beautiful, but some important information is missing from the context. A false impression is created about a person, that they would be an ideal one, but by omitting some important information, in fact not everything is said about that person. It is the problem of the mass media that they selectively present a personality or a public person", said the journalist.

Speaking about the techniques to combat disinformation and the tools available, Alina Radu mentioned primarily journalists and investigative groups, including organizations that analyze fakes. It is also about state institutions, explanatory editorials by specialists, etc. 

“The role of critical thinking and the value of media literacy are undeniable to me. We are what we consume. The given session not only reminds us about the danger of disinformation but offers viable techniques, methods, and tools to combat the phenomenon. It is important that we talked about verifying the facts, through the lens of verifying the emitters of false information, false sources, and types of false information, both in the context of the Republic of Moldova and on the world map. Also, the practical part of the sessions has a special impact, the case studies anchoring the theories and conclusions of the specialists in reality", said Mariana Ionel, a participant in the program.

"Disinformation generates negative aspects in society. The sessions held by Alina Radu were welcome for me because examples and concrete case studies were presented, which I had the opportunity to analyze from other aspects, focusing on details, which sometimes we do not notice naturally. I think this helps me to provide correct information and find balanced solutions, regarding various events exposed in the public space", said Lilia Ghenea, also a participant in the program.

"More of us are present in the online environment and less read newspapers, especially young people. Therefore, the information presented in these sessions was very useful for me, who is a PR specialist, I am frequently present in the online environment, and I notice all the news that appears, which is why I need to differentiate between fake news and a which is true", said Sabina Rotaru, also a participant of the program.

In the following sessions, the experience and good practices at the international level in combating disinformation will be discussed. The participants will also be trained on the peculiarities of disinformation in the online environment; the role of new technologies in disinformation campaigns; but also the role of journalists in combating disinformation, etc.

The project "Supporting Critical Thinking and Resisting Disinformation in the Republic of Moldova", implemented by IDIS "Viitorul" from January 2023 to October 2024, is financially supported by the Embassy of Finland in Bucharest.

--------------------

IDIS "Viitorul" is an independent think tank established in 1993 that combines social, political and economic research with strong advocacy components. The institution conducts applied monitoring research on several areas: economics, social policy, EU policies, regional development, but also security and foreign policy risks.

 Follow us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/IDISViitorul ; 

Subscribe to our Telegram channel - https://t.me/idis93 ;

Watch us on our Youtube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@idisviitorul8539 .

Information disorder is based on three elements: misinformation; strategic desinformation; and malicious information. Misinformation is about information that is false, but the person spreading it thinks it is true. Strategic desinformation is also about passing on false information, but the person spreading it knows it is false. Malicious is information is about information based on true facts with the aim of causing harm to a person.

False information as part of disinformation was the theme of sessions V and VI of the training programme on critical thinking, media literacy, analysis, resisting disinformation and reflecting public interest information in an unbiased way, held on Wednesday 10 May. The trainer of the sessions was Aurelia Peru, PhD in political science, coordinating research scientist.  According to Aurelia Peru, propaganda is not synonymous with strategic disinformation, although the latter can serve the interests of propaganda. Propaganda is more manipulative than disinformation because it uses emotional rather than informational messages.

There are seven categories of information disorder, says Aurelia Peru. These are: the inclusion of satire, parody; headlines, subheads, captions and other visual elements that do not reflect the content; misleading use of information to falsely portray an issue or person; authentic content that is redistributed outside its original context; imitation of authentic sources; authentic content that is used to mislead; and fabricated content.

"False information and misinformation I think are very important issues for every active citizen, especially if they hold office, and are followed by other citizens, representing a voice in the community. Such trainings would be beneficial for everyone once you are part of a society. In order to build a society of integrity, we need people to analyse, to think, to question everything they read, listen to or watch", believes Tatiana Ismailov, a participant of the programme.

"Fake news is a more or less well-known phenomenon, but it has been used for a very long time. This phenomenon has been amplified by the advent of the internet and social media. We probably cannot imagine life without modern technology today, but we need to be aware of the dangers and know how to detect fake news, which leads to massive misinformation and manipulation among citizens. This is what we learned at the session and we need to pass on this knowledge to those around us", says Olga Dragălin, another participant of the training programme.

"The technology of information fabrication on demand is today becoming more and more accessible to the public and as a definition the objective of distinguishing truth from falsehood is increasingly difficult to achieve. None of us is immune from this phenomenon, which can have a powerful impact on society and influence public opinion and can be used for revenge or defamation. This is why we are learning how to defend ourselves", says Gabriela Garaba, a participant in the programme.

The following sessions will discuss techniques to combat disinformation; false information as part of disinformation; international experience and best practices in combating disinformation. Participants will also be trained on fact-checking; the specifics of online disinformation; the role of new technologies in disinformation campaigns; and the role of journalists in combating disinformation, etc.

The project "Supporting Critical Thinking and Resisting Disinformation in the Republic of Moldova", implemented by IDIS "Viitorul" from January 2023 to October 2024, is financially supported by the Embassy of Finland in Bucharest.

--------------------

IDIS "Viitorul" is an independent think tank established in 1993 that combines social, political and economic research with strong advocacy components. The institution conducts applied monitoring research on several areas: economics, social policy, EU policies, regional development, but also security and foreign policy risks.

 Follow us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/IDISViitorul ; 

Subscribe to our Telegram channel - https://t.me/idis93 ; 

Watch us on our Youtube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@idisviitorul8539 .

Behind disinformation tendencies lie the intentions of groups of people who seek: to promote or denigrate a cause, to spread distrust in a society's institutions, and to spread or perpetuate confusion about one issue or another. These topics were addressed by Veaceslav Berbeca, expert at the Institute for Development and Social Initiatives (IDIS) "Viitorul", during sessions III and IV of the training programme on critical thinking, media literacy, analysis, resisting misinformation and reflecting public interest information in an unbiased way, held on Thursday 4 May.

According to Veaceslav Berbeca, misinformation is the release or promotion of false, inaccurate or misleading information designed, presented and promoted to intentionally cause public harm or profit. It can also be a certain type of special operation that consists of deceiving the opponent by providing false information that the opponent will use to draw conclusions desired by the insider. Veaceslav Berbeca pointed out that the development of public opinion, the invention of radio, television and the internet are phenomena that have contributed to the spread of disinformation.

The expert believes that, in general, there are several types of disinformation strategies and that they focus either on false identities, or on emotional content, polarization, conspiracy theories, discrediting opponents, labeling the opponent, attacking the person, but also trolling. According to Veaceslav Berbeca, there are also several methods of misinformation, namely denying and reversing things, mixing truth and lies, distorting reason and circumstances, and generalization. Veaceslav Berbeca also said that the spheres or areas currently targeted by disinformation and propaganda are: traditional media and social networks; ideology and culture; crime and corruption; and energy resources.

"This session confirmed to me that it is not fear, uncertainty, happiness or excitement that should overwhelm us upon hearing any information disseminated in the public space, but many questions: who said it? For what purpose did he say it? Why did he say it just now, and the list of questions gets longer and longer as you start to get answers to the essential questions. Truth is one, versions are many. The age of a piece of information does not make it true. We don't have time to live a lie, so we have to find time to analyze", says Maria Nistor, a participant in the programme.

"Education of citizens in the field of disinformation, the history of disinformation, the phenomena that contributed to its propagation, its objectives and strategies, the building blocks and methods of disinformation are already a necessity. For me personally, the choice of analyzing disinformation trends, manipulative or fake news was an assumed one, given that we can no longer oppose it through silence. In order to engage in educating critical thinking about citizens we need to be prepared", says Irina Bejan, another participant of the training programme.

The following sessions will discuss techniques to combat disinformation; false information as part of disinformation; international experience and best practices in combating disinformation. Participants will also be trained on fact-checking; the specifics of online disinformation; the role of new technologies in disinformation campaigns; and the role of journalists in combating disinformation, etc.

The project "Supporting Critical Thinking and Resisting Disinformation in the Republic of Moldova", implemented by IDIS "Viitorul" from January 2023 to October 2024, is financially supported by the Embassy of Finland in Bucharest.

--------------------

IDIS "Viitorul" is an independent think tank established in 1993 that combines social, political and economic research with strong advocacy components. The institution conducts applied monitoring research on several areas: economics, social policy, EU policies, regional development, but also security and foreign policy risks.

Follow us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/IDISViitorul ; 

Subscribe to our Telegram channel - https://t.me/idis93 ; 

Watch us on our Youtube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@idisviitorul8539 .

The Institute for Development and Social Initiatives (IDIS) "Viitorul" has launched a training programme on critical thinking, media literacy, analysis, resisting misinformation and reflecting public interest information in an unbiased way. Forty journalists, representatives of media organisations, teachers who teach media literacy in schools, members of the Audiovisual Council, who want to increase their capacity to deal with misinformation, but also to acquire new skills and knowledge, signed up for the programme.

The training programme is part of the project "Supporting Critical Thinking and Resisting Disinformation in the Republic of Moldova" and involves 20 sessions, which run from 3 May until 22 June 2023.

Liubomir Chiriac, Executive Director of IDIS "Viitorul", said at the launch of the programme: "Given what is happening now in the Republic of Moldova, in the world, in the region, it is very important to have trained people who have a correct understanding of what is going on, who have skills and competences in new approaches to dealing with these facts. With your help, we need to get it right. As a result of this programme, many of you, in a certain period of time, will become opinion leaders and in this way we will be able to overcome the problems that exist at the moment".

Carolina Ungureanu, deputy director of IDIS "Viitorul", said: "We want this training programme to be an exchange of best practices, where we work together on case studies and practical exercises. The focus will be more on concrete cases from both national and international experience. Journalists, students, civil society representatives, media education teachers from all over Moldova (Cahul, Cimislia, Briceni, Comrat, Balti, Leova, Ocnita, Stefan Voda, Straseni, Criuleni Dondușeni, etc.) who want to strengthen their capacities have been selected for this programme and we are offering them this opportunity, because we need a critical thinking society and a well-educated young generation".

Liliana Vițu, President of the Audiovisual Council (AC), said: "With this activity, IDIS offers the opportunity for six people from the monitoring department of the AC to participate in this programme. It is very important for those who monitor, those who are responsible to say whether this content is problematic or not problematic, whether it is a breach of information integrity or not, whether it is bad journalism if it is not a second opinion, it is with bad intention or bad faith. For our monitors to notice and do their job well, they need to be trained too. Things are changing. The world is changing. What was valid yesterday is questionable today. Unfortunately, we live in a world where liberal-democratic countries are already fewer in number. 75% of all countries in the world are countries with authoritarian regimes. If after the Second World War there was a triumph of liberal-democratic principles, now there is a regression and authoritarian regimes are making gains. I would like such monitoring to be done by CSOs as well. In many countries the regulator has partnerships with non-governmental organisations and the monitoring, the content analysis, is done by NGOs for the regulator, who treat them as their reports".

Elena Tașcă, representative of the education directorate of Hincesti district, said:"With the introduction of the media education optional course in schools, a shortcoming in the teaching methods of the subject was observed. We have followed your invitation to train us, the specialists of the directorate, so that later we can provide teachers with support on new methods of teaching this optional course, to make students more open, to know about the information they receive which is correct and which is incorrect. We need to develop those skills in students to make a difference".

Andrei Bargan, Media TV journalist, Cimislia, said: "There is a big change in the world. We are in the digital age. We are bombarded with information of all sorts and kinds. In order not to become part of this process of incorrect dissemination of information, we must firstly not become victims of misinformation and secondly not mislead others. The impact of the information passed on by journalists is great, and the responsibility towards society must also be great. At such courses, at such trainings, we manage to gain knowledge, skills, tools and mechanisms to protect ourselves and society".

On Wednesday, 3 May 2023, Mariana Iacco, university lecturer, addressed the topic of media education. Thus, the participants discussed the terms media education / media literacy; went through the history of the development of media education; how media education has developed in the world, what international practices on teaching media education in schools are in the UK, Finland, Australia, USA, France, Denmark, Sweden, Netherlands, Germany etc. but also what is the national experience on media education. Also discussed were the "ingredients" of literacy, the Media Literacy Index 2022 and the European Media Literacy Profile etc.

On Thursday 4 May, IDIS "Viitorul" expert Veaceslav Berbeca will talk to participants in two other sessions about what lies behind disinformation trends and the myths behind disinformation campaigns.

The following sessions will discuss techniques to combat disinformation; false information as part of disinformation; international experience and best practices in combating disinformation. Participants will also be trained on fact-checking; the specifics of online disinformation; the role of new technologies in disinformation campaigns; and the role of journalists in combating disinformation, etc.

Participants in the training programme will have the opportunity to apply the knowledge gained in practice and develop 15 evaluations / case studies / monitoring / analyses on topics related to misinformation, media literacy and critical thinking. A cooperation platform will also be created, where evaluations will be presented and recommendations will be made. Twelve infographics will also be developed on the basis of relevant information contained in the results and findings of studies, analyses, case studies etc. A "red flags tool" will be developed in the form of a guide for journalists and media users, focusing on how to identify false information.

The project has so far mapped media institutions and civil society organisations active in the media space. Meetings were held with the members of the Board of Directors to outline the objectives of the project and the contribution that civil society can make in this area. A study will be carried out on how the most influential Moldovan media institutions cover internal and external issues affecting society from the perspective of misinformation, the presentation of fake news.

The project "Supporting Critical Thinking and Resisting Disinformation in the Republic of Moldova", implemented by IDIS "Viitorul" from January 2023 to October 2024, is financially supported by the Embassy of Finland in Bucharest.

--------------------

IDIS "Viitorul" is an independent think tank established in 1993 that combines social, political and economic research with strong advocacy components. The institution conducts applied monitoring research on several areas: economics, social policy, EU policies, regional development, but also security and foreign policy risks.

 Follow us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/IDISViitorul ;

Subscribe to our Telegram channel - https://t.me/idis93 ;

Watch us on our Youtube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@idisviitorul8539 .