Public policies to fight disinformation actively through media and information literacy

Abstract

The chapter focuses on current and prospective policy measures in the EU to counter disinformation, among which is media literacy. Media literacy practices and actions in the EU member states vary significantly in terms of their embedment in formal education, actors involved, number of relevant initiatives, and social impact. Against this background, our research objectives were: (1) to understand and comparatively assess current practices in France, Spain, and Romania to actively fight disinformation, with a focus on MIL, fact-checking, education policies, and (2) to formulate recommendations for designing policies to mitigate disinformation risks in EU. Between January and March 2022, within EU-funded project YouVerify!, we conducted 30 in-depth, semi-structured interviews with French, Romanian, and Spanish experts from relevant fields: decision-makers, experts in disinformation and media literacy, and journalists involved in the media coverage of politics and/or working in online media. The results provided insights on the public policies put in place in each country, in relation to other types of measures for fighting disinformation. Building on this up-to-date analysis, we designed policy recommendations in each country and at the EU level, to strengthen the impact of MIL practices and to increase their synergy with other types of measures.