Defending the Truth
D+C: Development and Cooperation, issue 6 (2025), pp. 22-50
"People of all ages and from all societies must be empowered to understand the information they are dealing with. Autocratic regimes around the world owe their rise in part to the deliberate use of all kinds of misinformation. They have an interest in ensuring that truths are distorted or remain unrecognised. The fight for truth depends on civil-society activism, media education in childhood, thorough media work and strong democratic institutions." (Page 3)
Young people must be empowered to recognise lies and deal with misinformation / Katharina Wilhelm Otieno, 23
Disinformation is widespread in Africa, especially on health and political issues / Alphonce Shiundu, 24
Hackers have turned digital election interference into a business model / Sonja Peteranderl, 27
In her book, historian Anne Applebaum explains how autocrats use propaganda to keep each other in power / Dagmar Wolf, 30
“Data literacy is about building informed, active citizens” / Interview with Irene Mwendwa, 33
In South and Southeast Asia, several governments use laws that are supposed to fight fake news to suppress critical voices / Sangeeta Mahapatra, Janjira Sombatpoonsiri and Andreas Ufen, 36
In India, politically motivated hate speech against minorities is increasing during election campaigns / Suparna Banerjee, 39
In Finland, children are prepared for the disinformation they will encounter on the internet from kindergarten age onwards / Interview with Kari Kivinen, 42
How Taiwan has managed to defend itself against disinformation and build trust in institutions / Interview with Audrey Tang, 46
Disinformation is widespread in Africa, especially on health and political issues / Alphonce Shiundu, 24
Hackers have turned digital election interference into a business model / Sonja Peteranderl, 27
In her book, historian Anne Applebaum explains how autocrats use propaganda to keep each other in power / Dagmar Wolf, 30
“Data literacy is about building informed, active citizens” / Interview with Irene Mwendwa, 33
In South and Southeast Asia, several governments use laws that are supposed to fight fake news to suppress critical voices / Sangeeta Mahapatra, Janjira Sombatpoonsiri and Andreas Ufen, 36
In India, politically motivated hate speech against minorities is increasing during election campaigns / Suparna Banerjee, 39
In Finland, children are prepared for the disinformation they will encounter on the internet from kindergarten age onwards / Interview with Kari Kivinen, 42
How Taiwan has managed to defend itself against disinformation and build trust in institutions / Interview with Audrey Tang, 46
