• • June 06, 2023
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• • June 08, 2023

From June 6-8, 2023, the Aspen Institute Germany hosted a Berlin trip in the framework of the project “Disinformation and the Role of Social Media Influencers in Times of Crises, Conflicts, and Wars”. The project brought together seventeen social media influencers and content creators from Germany, Ukraine, Romania, Czech Republic, Lithuania, and Latvia with other actors to discuss their role in democratic societies in times of conflict. Over the year 2023, participants will exchange lessons learned, meet with academics, experts, and decision-makers, and discuss mechanisms of disinformation online and how to counter them. The results will be published in the form of policy recommendations.
Participating influencers and content creators met in Berlin for the second event of the project. This in-person meeting focused on fostering a better understanding among the participants of how disinformation works in different countries and online environments and of current disinformation narratives, especially in the context of the Russian War in Ukraine and the Covid-19 pandemic. Knowledge was gathered through facilitated discussions and brainstorming sessions, tapping into the participants’ expertise. With a view to effective approaches to counter disinformation, input was also provided on scientific insights and the European Union’s regulatory measures, followed by an exchange on approaches in other countries. The workshop also included a skill-building session to support the participants in improving their content and its distribution on social media platforms.
The Aspen Institute Germany thanks all speakers and participants of the Berlin trip of the Disinformation and the Role of Influencers in Times of Conflict project: Yuliya Bidenko, Centre for East European and International Studies, Visiting Researcher ‘UNET’; Christiane Hoffmann, Federal Press Office, First Deputy Spokesperson of the Federal Government; Maryna Hovorukhina, Strategic Communications Expert; Swantje Kortemeyer, German Federal Foreign Office, Deputy Head of Department of Strategic Communication; Friederike Moraht, Tagesspiegel Background, Editor; Melanie Ohnemus, TikTok, Government Relations & Public Policy Manager, DACH; Heather Danielle Thompson, Democracy Reporting International, Manager of Digital Democracy; Valerie Scholz, „Facts for Friends“, Co-Founder ; Hannah Knox, Desk Officer, along with three colleagues who hold positions in Community Management and Social Media within the editorial board of the Federal Press Office.
More information on the project can be found here.
The project is supported by the German Federal Foreign Office. We thank the Aspen Institute Central Europe, the Aspen Institute Kyiv, and the Aspen Institute Romania for their support.