The European Digital Media Observatory, established in June 2020, hopes to counter fake news and other digital disinformation with facts and research across the European Union. EDMO plans to work with online platforms to gain access for researchers to relevant data. It will also provide materials to media literacy practitioners, teachers, and citizens to increase awareness about the dangers of disinformation and why it threatens the future of democratic societies.

“The idea is to have national hubs or multinational hubs covering all member states in Europe,” explains Paula Gori, EDMO secretary-general and project manager leader, who is based at the School of Transnational Governance at the European University Institute.

“These centers will detect, analyze, and disclose disinformation campaigns at national or multinational as well as EU level. They will promote media literacy activities, and they will monitor online platform policy and the digital media ecosystem in cooperation with the national authorities,” Gori tells CCC’s Chris Kenneally.

According to Gori, the European Digital Media Observatory brings together fact-checkers and academic researchers with expertise in the field of online dis-information and is open to collaboration with media organisations and media literacy practitioners. It promotes scientific knowledge on online disinformation, advances the development of fact-checking services, and supports media literacy programmes. EDMO also supports public authorities in assessing the implementation of the EU Code of Practice on Disinformation.