News
In December 2025, the Council of Europe’s CDMSI adopted the policy document National Media and Information Literacy (MIL) Strategies: Practical Steps and Indicators, aiming to support CoE's member states in effectively responding to the transformations in the media and information ecosystem brought about by the digital era. [+]
This is the first-ever non-compliance decision under the European Union’s Digital Services Act. [+]
The in-person event, held on December 5, focused on showcasing lessons learned and best practices specifically related to disinformation and media and information literacy. [+]
In her opening speech, Her Excellency the Ambassador of France, Ms. Marie Dumoulin, recalled that disinformation today acts like a virus that weakens our societies by damaging the information environment dominated by social networks and facilitating external interference and stressed the need for a three-pronged response: detection, platform regulation, and media literacy. [+]
The European Commission has awarded The NTCenter, one of the Bulgarian partners in the Bulgarian-Romanian Digital Media Observatory, with the 2025 European Innovative Teaching Award. [+]
The President of Romania, Mr. Nicușor Dan, presented on Wednesday, November 12, the National Defense Strategy of the Country for the period 2025-2030: "Independence and Solidarity: Romania's Vision for a Changing World". The document is now in public consultation, to be endorsed in CSAT on November 24 and presented in Parliament on November 26.
Funky Citizens and the Center for Independent Journalism (CJI), organizations that are part of the Bulgarian-Romanian Digital Media Observatory, part of EDMO (European Digital Media Observatory), welcome this initiative and appreciate the inclusion of hybrid threats and media education in the strategic document. Therefore, we have chosen to position ourselves on topics in which both organizations have vast and complementary experience: combating disinformation and hybrid threats, as well as media education. We transmit this contribution starting from a common conviction: the greatest threat to Romania's security does not come only from the outside, but from our internal weaknesses. Corruption, deficient public institutions, citizens' lack of trust in the state, the absence of real civic participation mechanisms, the lack of media education and citizens' incapacity to critically evaluate information: these are the vulnerabilities that hybrid threats exploit and that erode the country's democratic resilience.
How can we counter disinformation? This was the topic of the lecture by Prof. Stephen Lewandowsky that kicked off the Sofia Information Integrity Forum 2025 on November 5, 2025. The event was officially opened by Prof. Silvia Ilieva, Director of the GATE Institute, and Dr Keith Kiely, Science Coordinator of BROD. [+]
The second phase of the Bulgarian-Romanian Observatory of Digital Media (BROD 2.0) officially commenced on November 5, 2025, with a workshop dedicated to “Election Integrity in Southeast Europe,” marking a significant step in the regional effort to combat disinformation and enhance democratic resilience. [+]
On November 7-8, 2025, Myth Detector, a Georgian Fact-Checking organization, and Deutsche Welle Akademie, in partnership with Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Canal France International (CFI) Media Development Agency, Media Development Foundation (MDF), and StopFals (Moldova) organise the Eastern Partnership Fact-Checkers Annual Conference "Unveil the Truth" in Chișinău, Moldova. [+]
A central outcome of the event was the launch of an open appeal by the Media Literacy Coalition to political parties, the Council of Ministers, the National Assembly, and relevant parliamentary committees in Bulgaria. The appeal calls for making media literacy a national priority and urges for coordinated policy action and strategic planning to embed media literacy at all levels of education and civic life. [+]
The Dutch parliamentary election on 29 October will be the first to take place under the new rules. [+]
The text of the bill, and particularly the impact of its potential adoption on media freedom in Bulgaria, received wide coverage in the media and sparked public debate across online platforms (social media, forums). [+]
The Bulgarian-Romanian Observatory of Digital Media (BROD) and Factcheck.bg have officially launched a strategic partnership after signing a memorandum of understanding to enhance efforts against disinformation in the region. [+]
As part of the major NATO emergency management exercise "BULGARIA 2025," held at GATE Institute on September 9, 2025, a specialized training session designed and implemented by the Intelligent Governance unit at GATE Institute challenged disaster response experts to navigate the complexities of misinformation in a crisis scenario. The exercise, developed as part of the event's program, focused on identifying and countering logical fallacies – a key component of modern hybrid threats. [+]
Under BROD project, a new documentary on BNT about the AI [+]
As part of BROD, CSD convened an international conference to address foreign influence and disinformation in Bulgaria and Romania, highlighting the role of the Digital Services Act and European Democracy Shield in strengthening democratic resilience. [+]
BROD presented findings at the conference The European Union in a Dynamic Global Context was held in Sofia, 15-16 May 202. [+]
Be Online Smart is a campaign by the European Digital Media Observatory (EDMO) and its network of 14 national hubs. It aims to raise awareness about how algorithms shape our online experience — from the news we read to the videos we watch. Recommendation systems help us discover content we enjoy, but they can also limit what we see, amplify disinformation, and reinforce bias. By understanding how algorithms work and how they influence our online lives, we can make smarter choices, spot misinformation, and stay better informed.
Several media literacy activities in the frame of BROD. [+]
In an era of disinformation and digital noise, media literacy is a key tool that empowers people to make informed choices, develop critical thinking, and uphold democratic values. This event brings together experts, policymakers, educators, and youth leaders to explore the best practices in media literacy from Denmark, Norway, Finland, and Sweden. [+]
Bulgaria shares the pain of the citizens of the Republic of North Macedonia over the fire in Kočani, which left many people dead and injured, Bulgaria's President Rumen Radev said on X on Sunday, March 16. The Head of State spoke with the North Macedonia's President Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova and expressed condolences to the families who lost their loved ones. Rumen Radev added that he is in contact with Bulgaria's Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov and Bulgaria is ready to provide medical assistance. [+]
As part of the EFCSN’s FactCRICIS / EuroClimateCheck project, a climate fact-checking database has been launched which brings together climate-related fact-checks from 25 fact-checking organisations across Europe. The database draws on articles from fact-checking organisations from 15 European countries, representing a groundbreaking initiative to battle climate disinformation crossing borders in Europe. [+]
BROD's scientific coordinator, Dr. Keith Peter Kiely, presented the observatory at Cyber Security Talks, Bulgaria, hosted by CyberXperts. [+]
A new initiative - a creation of a Center for Information, Democracy, and Citizenship (CIDC) - is convening a Balkan-focused cohort of civil society leaders, media professionals, fact-checkers, academic researchers, and practitioners. [+]
The Sofia District Prosecutor's Office (SPO) has charged five people - four of them adults, one minor - for hooligan acts that are particularly audacious and cynical. Some of them were accompanied by resistance against a government body with functions of maintaining public order in front of the headquarters of the European Parliament and the European Commission on Saturday, 22 February 2025. This was announced at a briefing by Sofia Deputy District Prosecutor Atanas Dotsinski in connection with the escalation of the "Vazrazhdane" protest against the euro. The penalty provided for in the law is up to five years for adults and up to two years after the reduction for minors, he said. [+]
On 13 February 2025, the Commission and the European Board for Digital Services endorsed the official integration of the voluntary Code of Practice on Disinformation into the framework of the Digital Services Act (DSA). [+]
The Commission and the European Board for Digital Services endorsed the integration of the voluntary Code of Practice on Disinformation into the framework of the Digital Services Act (DSA). This integration will make the Code a benchmark for determining platforms' compliance with the DSA. [+]
The conference Еurope on Edge: Tackling Hybrid Warfare amid Elections, Foreign Influence and Unfinished Europeanization was organised in Sofia. [+]
The 2024 Romanian elections marked a pivotal moment for European democracy, revealing how social media platforms, foreign interference, and state-backed disinformation campaigns exploited vulnerabilities in digital governance. Analysis uncovered a surge in conspiracy theories, anti-Western rhetoric, and electoral discrediting narratives, amplified through social media. Despite increased awareness, platform safeguards remained inadequate, underscoring the urgent need for multi-stakeholder reforms to protect democratic processes from manipulative influences. [+]
This post examines the role of two technology platforms in Romania’s recent presidential elections, where fringe candidates outperformed traditional political figures. Meta appeared to provide more transparent ad disclosures, while TikTok’s operations remained opaque and unaccountable, facilitating the rapid spread of polarizing content and bypassing traditional scrutiny. Pro-Russian independent candidate Călin Georgescu’s campaign leveraged TikTok’s viral mechanisms to amplify nationalist and anti-Western narratives, particularly targeting Romania’s 7-million-strong diaspora. [+]
From November 30 to December 1, a wave of disinformation and propaganda was flagged across TikTok and Meta. Narratives included allegations of voting fraud, anti-EU and anti-Ukraine rhetoric, LGBTQ+ misinformation targeting progressive candidate Elena Lasconi, and conspiracy theories portraying Romania as a pawn in foreign conflicts. Deepfakes, trolling campaigns, and the strategic renaming of online groups further intensified the digital manipulation, while far-right symbolism and cultural anxieties were used to amplify Călin Georgescu’s messages. [+]
What a week!
BROD with a series of presentations on the annual event of the GATE Institute in Sofia. [+]
Sofia Information Integrity Forum gathered the Bulgarian community against misinformation. [+]
The world has become very complex, and media literacy should be recognised as a basic competence. With these words, Deputy Education Minister Natalia Miteva opened the annual media literacy conference organised by the Bulgarian Media Literacy Coalition. [+]
The European Council established a new framework for restrictive measures in response to Russia’s destabilising actions abroad. [+]
The Fact Frontier initiative kicks off in Moldova with its first debate, bringing a fresh approach to fighting misinformation during election season. Supported by Funky Citizens, Transparency International Moldova, and the Independent Press Association Moldova, the project uses real-time fact-checking to keep candidates accountable and debates grounded in truth. Over the course of eleven debates, young journalists and students from Moldova and Romania will join this effort to promote transparency and media integrity, setting a new standard for informed democratic dialogue. [+]
Funky Citizens organization launched a civic and media education tour called the "Civic Caravan" ahead of Romania’s 2024 elections, aiming to engage young people in responsible civic life and online information literacy. Visiting over 20 communities, including both urban and rural areas, the Caravan sparked debates on civic responsibility, fact-checking, and combating disinformation. Key initiatives, such as fact-checking marathons in universities and the "Fake News. Following the Lies" exhibition, were designed to train young people in critical thinking and media literacy, empowering them to navigate the digital landscape responsibly. As Romania faces a rising risk of democratic backsliding, these efforts highlight the importance of being informed, ensuring citizens make conscious, informed decisions. This initiative not only fosters informed civic participation but also establishes a foundation for long-term engagement and media education across the country. [+]
The Bulgarian-Romanian Observatory of Digital media BROD collaborates with Moldovan partners on upcoming elections in Chișinău.
Elena Calistru from Funky Citizens will coordinate the fact-checking aspect and Keith Kiely from GATE Institute in Sofia will handle the comparative research.
During a technical workshop in September, European Commission staff and Moldovan authorities conducted a threat assessment and election readiness exercise with online platforms, Moldovan civil society organisations, fact-checkers and independent media. Several online platforms agreed on the implementation of a temporary escalation mechanism ahead of Moldova’s presidential elections and national referendum about the EU membership on 20 October. [+]
BROD work was presented at the conference on Artificial Intelligence in the Information and Media System of Bosnia and Herzegovina (MEDIAiBiH) [+]
Global Media and Information Literacy Week is an annual event observed from 24th to 31st October to raise awareness and celebrate the progress achieved towards Media and Information Literacy for all. [+]
Tsvetelina Stefanova, a contributor of BRODhub, was one of the organisers of the Free Media and Digital Literacy Training for Adults 55+ in Ruse University Angel Kanchev University of Ruse. The target group is users above 55 years old. [+]
The Agency for Audio and Audiovisual Media Services of the Republic of North Macedonia has shared the results of the recent Research on Media Literacy among First and Second Year Students in Secondary Education. This significant research effort, initiated and financed by AAVMS, comes as part of North Macedonia's ongoing educational reform aimed at integrating media literacy into the national curriculum. [+]
The 34 organizations part of the EDMO fact-checking network that contributed to this brief published a total of
1.750 fact-checking articles in June 2024. Out of these articles, 148 (8%) focused on Ukraine-related disinformation;
146 (8%) on climate change-related disinformation; 209 (12%) on disinformation related to the EU; 67 (4%) on the
conflict between Israel and Hamas; 78 (4%) on COVID-19-related disinformation; 135 (8%) on disinformation related
to immigration; and 39 (2%) on disinformation about LGBTQ+ and gender issues. [+]
GATE institute, the coordinator of BRODhub, is a coorganiser of forum against disinformation, in Sofia. [+]
The change that teachers who turn media literacy into a resource bring about was the topic of the third edition of the media literacy conference organised by the Center for Independent Journalism (CIJ) on 18 May in Bucharest. The event brought together teachers from the CIJ's Media Literacy Programme, representatives of authorities, as well as locally and internationally acknowledged media literacy experts, including members of the EDMO hub, BROD, and Renee Hobbs, founder of the Media Education Lab. [+]
The Council of EU approved the guiding framework for the practical establishment of the EU Hybrid Rapid Response Teams. This paves the way for such teams to be deployed upon request, to prepare against and counter hybrid threats and campaigns. [+]
EDMO week continues in Brussels with the focus moving from the general conference to a meeting of the EDMO network of hubs representatives from across Europe. BRODhub is represented by Madalina Botan from Scoala Nationala de Studii Politice si Administrative (SNSPA) and Scientific coordinator of BROD Keith Peter Kiely from GATE Institute, Sofia University. [+]
For the better part of the last decade, we, as citizens of the modern setting, living our lives in a world where the Internet is part of our everyday existence, are aware of disinformation. Call it fake news, propaganda, misinformation, the umbrella of disinformation covers the many aspects of this topic. A rose by any other name: name it as you wish, it’s still the same thing.
The 2024 EDMO Annual Conference started in Brussels, convening media and policy practitioners, policymakers, academics, regulators, journalists, and members of civil society to look at the challenges of online disinformation and how to tackle them.
Madeleine de Cock Buning and Miguel Poiares Maduro from School of Transnational Governance, EUI opened the event.
That is one of the questions AFP Fact Checker Rossen Bossev did address during a Conference titled
‘Countering Disinformation and Promoting Media Literacy’ co-organised by French and German
embassies to Bulgaria on April 22, 2024. [+]
The Bulgarian-Romanian Observatory of Digital Media BROD was presented at the symposium of the Presse Francophone in Bucharest. [+]
Between April 3rd and April 4th, the Communication Research Center of the Faculty of Communication and Public Relations within the National School of Political and Administrative Studies (SNSPA) organized the 12th edition of the Romanian-American Workshop, in partnership with the Cox Center for International Mass Communication Training and Research at the University of Georgia (USA). Prof. Nicoleta Corbu and Assoc. Prof. Madalina Botan, as representatives of BROD, delivered interventions on the risks of electoral disinformation, the role of technological platforms in minimizing these risks, and the responsibility of all actors involved in regulating the media ecosystem in the electoral context. [+]
The population across the European Union is ageing. This is a fact that is more often looked at as a problem, rather than an opportunity. However, it is time to reverse the perspective. One of the main problems especially in countries like Bulgaria, is that opportunities are not given and sought for the active inclusion of the elderly in public life. Due to the digitalization of the world a big part of social debates has migrated to the digital space. Elderly people want to participate and be heard.
In both rounds of the local elections in the Republic of Moldova, held in November 2023, the pro-Kremlin media used disinformation as a political tool. Old narratives, used in previous election campaigns, were recirculated, but also combined with pro-Kremlin narratives about the war in Ukraine, unachievable election promises and even using hate speech to denigrate the opponents.
The events of the last 3 years have been a huge generator of emotions for each of us, but also an incubator for disinformation. It has taken over the media space and continues, in the presence of fear and intense emotions, to destabilize trust in factual information. Nearly two years after the invasion of Ukraine, we look at the evolution of false narratives online, and discuss how a war in the 21st century takes on some new nuances to what history has accustomed us to.
Since 24 February 2022, when the Russian Federation started an aggressive and unjustified war against Ukraine, both the neighboring countries and the Republic of Moldova have been targets of propaganda and disinformation from the Kremlin. The waves of disinformation have forced the authorities in Chisinau to adopt various measures, including legislation, to protect Moldova's information space and its citizens from Kremlin propaganda transmitted through various channels. This article analyzes what can the authorities do to stop the spread of disinformation on the example of the Republic of Moldova.
The Member States, with the support of the Commission and ENISA, the EU Agency for Cybersecurity, have published a new compendium on how to protect the integrity of elections from a cybersecurity perspective. [+]
The European Digital and Media Literacy Conference in Brussels puts the many faces of digital and media literacy in the European spotlight during the Belgian EU presidency. [+]
Caption
The Bulgarian-Romanian Digital Observatory of Digital Media (BROD) is presented at the EDMO scientific conference at the University of Amsterdam. Nicoleta Corbu, Dan Sultănescu and Madalina Botan from National University of Political Studies and Public Administration (SNSPA), Todor Galev from Center for the Study of Democracy, the scientific coordinator of BROD Keith Kiely, Andy Stoycheff from NTCenter and Patrik Szicherle from GLOBSEC have a paper, named Effects of disinformation about the accession to the Schengen area in Bulgaria and Romania. [+]
Major technology companies signed a pact on Friday to voluntarily adopt "reasonable precautions" to prevent artificial intelligence (AI) tools from being used to disrupt democratic elections around the world, announced AP. The document is A Tech Accord to Combat Deceptive Use of AI in 2024 Elections. [+]
A number of measures to limit the risks of disinformation campaigns are envisaged by the draft law for amendments to the Electronic Communications Act prepared by the democratic groups in Bulgaria. [+]
Natural Language Processing Machine Learning models from the Intelligent Government group in the Big Data for Smart Society Institute (GATE) were used for an art project by Veneta Androva and Tsvetomila Mihailova. [+]
Keith Peter Kiely PhD is elected as a Member of the Executive Board – Hubs representative (BROD), [+]
The phenomenon of spreading disinformation was discussed at practice-oriented webinar “Beyond the Headlines: Tools and Skills to Detect Disinfo in the News”, organized by Euro Advance Association as part of the pan-European Read Twice (R2) project. Experienced researcher from the GATE Institute and Coordinator of research in BROD, Dr. Keith Kiely presented two case studies, offering insights into the dynamics within Bulgarian society which enable the spread of disinformation narratives. [+]
The Programme Director of the European Digital Media Observatory (EDMO) and the European Media and Information Fund (EMIF) projects Paolo Cesarini is a special guest to BROD in Sofia. In his first day of the visit he gave an insightful speech on the forum of GATE Institute. [+]
BROD liaison document is approved by the EDMO Executive Board. Now, the Bulgarian-Romanian Digital Media Observatory can be seen as a legitimate and functioning part of the EDMO network. BROD is proud to contribute to the EDMO community in our collaborative efforts to tackle this seminal issue. [+]
Discussing anti-Western narratives is a hot topical issue nowadays, but not a new one - just as propaganda is not an expression of our times, but has a long history behind it. I will not talk about the general course of anti-Western propaganda in Eastern Europe and especially in Romania, but about my personal experience with this field and the sometimes arduous process of countering it with honest and transparent means.
Bulgarian-Romanian Observatory of Digital Media BROD and the Hungarian Observatory of Digital Media HDMO signed a Memorandum of Understanding. [+]
The conference "Technologies against Disinformation 2.0" brought together the best Bulgarian technology companies working against disinformation. [+]
As Russia’s aggression against Ukraine wages on for a second year, Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) finds itself on the right side of history but divided. Most countries remain steadfast in its support for EU and NATO membership, and recognise the inherent threats posed by autocratic regimes to the region’s security. Most CEE societies are taking cue from their political leaders that have sought to openly distance themselves from autocratic regimes and assume a more decisive and vocal role on the international scene. [+]
GLOBSEC Trends 2022 is back with its 7th edition. How did the attitudes in Central and Eastern European (CEE) region change with the war in Ukraine? [+]
In 2023 Bulgaria held parliamentary and local elections.What happened in Bulgaria and is included in EDMO “Election Disinformation Narratives 2023” Report ? [+]
European Commission Vice-President Vera Jourova, responsible values and transparency, upholding the rule of law in the European Union, as well as monitoring implementation of the Code of Practice, was in Sofia, invited by Balkan Constitutional Forum. [+]
Keith Kiely from BROD participated in the panel Global Propaganda Campaigns: Exploring the Intersection of AI, Deepfake, and Disinformation [+]
The conference, organised by the University of Dubrovnik and the local ADMO Digital Media Observatory, has established itself as one of the leading in the Western Balkans. It opened with a discussion on priorities and perspectives in disinformation research. [+]
Bulgarian-Romanian Observatory of Digital Media BROD presented its achievements at the European Digital Media Observatory (EDMO) meeting of the fourteen EDMO Hubs in Dubrovnik on 28-29 September 2023. [+]
First analysis of the implementation of commitments under the Strengthened Code of Practice on Disinformation of Very Large Online Platforms (VLOP’s) & Very Large Online Search Engines (VLOSE); Researchers warn about European elections 2024 [+]
The European Commission in Bulgaria launched an information campaign dedicated to the common European currency, entitled #ЗаЕврото накратко: отговорите, които търсим (About the Euro in a Nutshell: the answers We Are Looking For). [+]
Two representatives of BROD participated at the International CLaDA-BG Conference 2023.
The invited speaker assoc. prof. Milena Dobreva presented From Digitisation Frenzy to Datafication Frenzy: Are Data Spaces the Silver Bullet for “Real” Digital Transformation? Dr. Keith Kiely spoke about the Framework for Analysing Disinformation Narratives: Migrants and Refugees in Bulgaria. [+]
One Year Wartime Disinformation – is Collective Resistance Possible? - that question was asked at the First annual conference of the Bulgarian Coalition Against Disinformation, held in Sofia on 27 April 2023. [+]
On January 26-27, 2023, the kick-off meeting of the international project to create the Bulgarian-Romanian Observatory for Digital Media (BROD) took place in Sofia. In it, the “Big Data for Smart Society” – GATE Institute – at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski” heads a regional hub for combating disinformation. The project is funded by the European Health and Digital Executive Agency. Its coordinator is GATE and it includes 11 other partners from five European countries, including Agence France-Presse and Bulgarian National Television. Its duration is until May 31, 2025. [+]
Bulgaria continues to lag behind in key aspects related to media freedom and transparency in the media environment, despite a declared commitment to reforms in this area. [+]
Journalists and employees of the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA), the Bulgarian National Radio (BNR), and the Bulgarian National Television (BNT) protest, demanding a payment rise of at least 15%. The protest is under the slogan "Work in the media has value" and will start at noon at the intersection in front of Sofia University. Workers at the correspondent bureaus of the three media outlets take part in protest actions across the country. [+]
Quoted by international media, trusted by EU institutions, nurtured by the European communities of fact-checkers, media literacy experts, and researchers, the EDMO Task Force on EU Elections 2024 has been a successful endeavor to monitor and counter disinformation ahead of the vote. Its work was built relying on the efforts of over 50 independent fact-checking organizations, part of the EDMO fact-checking network, and 14 EDMO hubs monitoring the disinformation at the local level. [+]
AFP with video debunk! Misinformation regarding Bulgaria's asylum rankings in the EU spread on social media after Austria agreed to let Bulgaria and Romania join the Schengen area of free movement by air and sea borders in exchange for stepping up the fight against illegal immigration [+]
If we do not all go out and vote on Sunday, we will directly influence the election results, and not in the direction we would all like the European Union to develop, because we will let others decide for us the future of power in Europe. This is what Yordanka Chobanova - Head of the European Commission Representation in Bulgaria said. She took part in the presentation of a study by the Center for the Study of Democracy. The study is part of the work of Bulgarian-Romanian Digital Media Observatory BROD. [+]
The Center for Independent Journalism (CIJ) has the pleasure to invite you to the Media Literacy Conference 2024 - The Superpower of Tomorrow's Teachers, which will take place on 18 May 2024, at Sheraton Hotel in Bucharest. The third edition of the Media Literacy Conference is a full day event, starting at 09:00 AM. [+]
Dr Sharon McCulloch of the EUI Widening Europe Programme presented a series of trainings at GATE Institute, Sofia University St. Climent Ohridsky. [+]
Great news for the fight against disinformation last week! The European Commission (EC) announced that 6 new hubs will be part of the European Digital Media Observatory (EDMO). The new hubs have been selected following a call for proposals and will complement the territorial scope covered by the hubs already in place. EDMO’s hubs now cover all the EU countries which is a great step forward for addressing disinformation challenges in all EU languages. [+]
European Commission announced a set of possible actions to foster the innovation, security and resilience of digital infrastructures. The future competitiveness of Europe's economy depends on these advanced digital network infrastructures and services, since fast, secure, and widespread connectivity is essential for the deployment of the technologies that will bring us into tomorrow's world: telemedicine, automated driving, predictive maintenance of buildings, or precision agriculture. [+]
The winner of the first round of Romanian presidential elections was a huge surprise even for close observers of the political landscape. Călin Georgescu, a lesser-known, peripheral candidate who ran as an independent, was dismissed as a minor contender due
to his low profile and far-right, pro-Russian messaging (which predates this campaign and was notably absent during it), defeated the long-standing favorite candidate of the largest Romanian party, after a campaign where he was quasi-absent from traditional
media. [+]
The new national and regional hubs will cover Bulgaria, Germany, Estonia, Greece, Croatia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Austria, Romania and Slovenia. [+]
At the 17th International Media Days conference in Dubrovnik the main topic was Generative Artificial Intelligence. [+]
The Bulgarian-Romanian Observatory of Digital Media (BROD), which works under the framework of the European Digital Media Observatory (EDMO), launches its website https://brodhub.eu/. The hub portal starts in the context of rising disinformation and hybrid war against the European Union. [+]
BROD is organising a panel HARNESSING AI TO COMBAT MISINFORMATION: INNOVATIONS, CHALLENGES, AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS at the frame of Up to GATE: Technology, Big Data & Beyond Conference. [+]
The AFP's third fact-checking training will be delivered in a hybrid format in March in Sofia and Bucarest. [+]
Evaluating the Code of Practice on Disinformation in Bulgaria and Romania will be the focus panel of the Grand Opening of the GATE Institute Building.
Our special guests are Paolo Cesarini, Programme Director for EDMO and EMIF and Madalina Botan from SNSPA, and we will have the pleasure to speak online with Paula Gori from EDMO and Kalina Bontcheva from University of Sheffield. Todor Galev from Center for the Study of Democracy, Bulgaria and Maria Koleva from BNT also will present their work as a partners of Bulgarian-Romanian Observatory of Digital Media BROD. [+]
75 teachers from 74 schools in Romania learn how to teach media literacy concepts to their students, within the Media Education Program, the largest program of this kind from Romania, carried out by the Center for Independent Journalism. Teachers benefit from free training in order to acquire media literacy skills and learn methods that would help the students become responsible citizens, resilient in the face of disinformation. [+]
Raluca Buturoiu and Nicoleta Corbu, two Romanian researchers and professors from the National University of Political Studies and Public Administration (SNSPA), partner in the Bulgarian-Romanian Observatory of Digital Media (BROD), were selected as Experts within the EDMO Expert Group on Structural Indicators for the Code of Practice on Disinformation.
Political hashtags consistently topped Romania's trending topics, fueled largely by accounts supporting presidential candidates. TikTok's official stance against paid political advertising is contradicted by the prevalence of unmarked political content. The lack of clear traceability for these accounts and TikTok's ineffective moderation are highlighted as key problems. [+]
Fighting Misinformation Online (FMO) event in Warsaw is hosted by Google, YouTube, European University Institute, Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation alongside Demagog and Mixer. [+]
Although physical attacks against journalists are the most visible violations of press freedom, economic pressure is also a major, more insidious problem, is said in the RSF World Press Freedom Index for 2025. As a result, the global state of press freedom is now classified as a “difficult situation” for the first time in the history of the Index. [+]
The Bulgarian-Romanian Observatory on Digital Media stands with AEJ in its support for the valuable work of fact-checkers in helping to inform a more accurate informational environment. We also stand with and support our colleague Associate Professor Ralitsa Kovacheva and the Factcheck Bulgaria team. Regardless of our political viewpoints and beliefs, it is important to have respectful dialogue and exchange which is not based on threatening language and behaviour. [+]
Children make news for children – this is the new online project of the Bulgarian National Television, implemented in partnership with the Bulgarian-Romanian Digital Media Observatory. [+]
The GATE Institute hosted its annual flagship event, UpToGATE 2025: New Horizons, bringing together global leaders, researchers, policymakers, and industry innovators to explore the accelerating technological landscape and the emerging maturity of AI-driven ecosystems. This year’s edition highlighted the intersection of authentic intelligence, evidence-based regulation, human-centric research, and the rising importance of trusted data spaces in shaping Europe’s digital future.
From 5 to 7 November, the GATE Institute at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski” will host the Sofia Information Integrity Forum 2025 – an international event bringing together leading researchers, analysts, and experts from various fields to discuss how technology, policy, and scientific approaches can strengthen trust in information and counter manipulation in the digital environment. The forum is organized by the Foundation for Humanities and Social Studies – Sofia, the Center for the Study of Democracy, the GATE Institute, Identrics, Graphwise, and Sensika. [+]
The Embassy of France and the French Institute in Bulgaria are organising a public roundtable featuring experts, journalists, and fact-checkers. Iglika Ivanova from GATE/BROD is among the invited researchers. [+]
BROD co-organises Sofia Information Integrity Forum 2024, which will be held on November 7-9 in the Central Military Club, Tsar Osvoboditel Blvd 7. [+]
The GATE Institute and BROD presented their work at the European Language Data Space workshop, organised by the Institute for Bulgarian Language and the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, where experts from the Bulgarian Industry, Public Administration and Research discussed the importance of language data for the development of Language Technologies and AI-based tools in Bulgaria. [+]
Mădălina Boțan is a researcher within the BROD project (Bulgarian-Romanian Observatory of Digital Media) and a PhD lecturer at the National School of Political and Administrative Studies, Faculty of Communication. On the eve of the elections, she was invited to the Media Literacy Lab, the podcast of the Center for Independent Journalism (CIJ), to share her insights on information and disinformation during election campaigns. [+]
This month BROD fact-checking partner AFP held its second fact-checking training planned in the project. Like the first one earlier this year, the training took place in a hybrid format, with an opening webinar, an online closing session, and twice two-day in person sessions for participants in Sofia and Bucharest. [+]
GATE Institute, the coordinator of the BROD project 2.0, will host the new Sofia Information Integrity Forum 2025. Dates are 5-7 November. Register on the website! [+]
Democracy is one of the fundamental values of our European Union. It is at the heart of our open and transparent societies. In the European Union, citizens can freely express their views, participate in democratic life, and choose their political representatives.
However, false information has increased in recent years and can affect various aspects of our lives: health, public security, trust in democracy, climate and the environment, migration and fundamental rights and values that underpin our societies. [+]
Bulgaria continues to lag in key aspects related to media freedom and transparency in the media environment, despite a declared commitment to reforms in this area. This is stated in the latest European Commission Rule of Law Report for 2025, published on 8 July. [+]
The impressive powers of generative AI make it capable to act as a “dual agent”: to inform and to mislead, to analyze and to synthesize. Let’s dive into what speakers at the Sofia Information Integrity Forum 2024 had to say about that. [+]
Discussion about the monitoring and the evaluating of the Code of Practice on Disinfomation in Sofia
Genuine discussion on VLOP's implementation of the Code of Practice on Disinformation (CoP) in Bulgaria and Romania was part in the frame of the third GATE Big Data and Artificial Intelligence Forum (BDAIF2023). [+]
