European Narrative Observatory to fight Disinformation post-COVID19

In an era marked by an unprecedented flux of information, the European public sphere finds itself ensnared in a complex web of narratives, some of which veer dangerously into then territories of mis- and disinformation. Fighting disinformation remains challenging, yet targeting misleading narratives offers hope. This project advances the European Narratives Observatory's work, using innovative methods to counteract misinformation.

The project funded by the European Commission will use advanced Large Language Models (LLM) to analyze vast textual data, pinpointing misleading narratives overlooked by older tools. The approach combines established techniques like dynamic network analysis with LLM's capabilities, promising efficient deployment across varied sources and languages. The focus lies on key informational nodes, like media and Wikipedia, realizing their significant influence on public opinion. In addition, this study includes three in-depth case studies on the Ukraine conflict, LGBTQI+ narratives, and the 2024 European elections, e.g., in France, the Baltic Region, Italy and Romania. The researchers will produce 36 journalistic pieces showcasing the techniques used as well as launch a MOOC for journalists.

The Erich-Brost-Institute is collaborating with the other partners on the study and will contribute the German part.