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GERMAN-AUSTRIAN DIGITAL MEDIA OBSERVATORY

Exposing Disinformation Before the Federal Election

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Eine Person wirft einen Wahlzettel in eine Wahlurne. Im Hintergrund ist eine Deutschlandfahne © jivimages​/​stock.adobe.com
The German-Austrian Digital Media Observatory informs about circulating false reports related to the election.
Ahead of the upcoming federal election on 23 February, the “German-Austrian Digital Media Observatory” (GADMO) – a collaboration of research institutions and fact-checking editorial teams led by the Institute of Journalism (IJ) at TU Dortmund University – will clarify disinformation circulating around the election with weekly newsletters and a virtual panel discussion on 6 February.

The election campaign in Germany has been ongoing for weeks and is accompanied by numerous false reports that appear to be deliberately spread to unsettle voters. In recent weeks, GADMO partners have already examined false information about the chancellor candidates Robert Habeck (Alliance 90/The Greens), who was allegedly arrested during an intelligence operation, and Friedrich Merz (CDU), who allegedly stated he was not afraid of a nuclear war with Russia. Both claims are completely unfounded. Additionally, a manipulated image of poll results recently circulated on social networks: it suggested that the AfD would get 41 percent, the SPD 14 percent, and the BSW 8 percent. In reality, the poll was conducted by the Insa polling institute for the state election in Brandenburg in September 2024. GADMO was able to show that the displayed poll results were subsequently altered and are false.

Uncovering disinformation campaigns and strengthening media literacy

To counter the spread of such disinformation, GADMO – coordinated by TU Dortmund University – has launched a weekly newsletter on Wednesday, 15 January. It compiles the most important fact-checks on circulating false reports related to the federal election from partners CORRECTIV, Deutsche Presseagentur (dpa), Agence France-Presse (AFP), and Austria Presse Agentur (APA).

“In election campaign times, it is particularly important that people can form an opinion based on verified information about parties, their programs, and candidates. With the expertise of the GADMO team, we want to contribute to uncovering disinformation campaigns, raising awareness of the strategies behind them, and strengthening citizens’ media literacy,” says Prof. Christina Elmer from IJ, coordinator of the GADMO network. The team expects an increasing spread of misleading or manipulatively presented content in the coming weeks. With the help of contextual fact-checks and offers to strengthen media literacy, GADMO partners provide timely clarification and thus help counteract the campaigns.

The newsletter is published every Wednesday starting 15 January. Interested parties can subscribe here.

In addition to the newsletter, the GADMO network is organizing a virtual panel discussion on Thursday, 6 February, at 3 pm. The following experts will discuss current developments in the election campaign, including European perspectives and the views of young voters:

  • Lea Frühwirth, Senior Researcher, CeMAS Center for Monitoring, Analysis, and Strategy gGmbH
  • Paula Gori, Secretary General and Coordinator of the European Digital Media Observatory (EDMO)
  • Hatice Kahraman, Editor-in-Chief of the youth editorial team Salon5 at CORRECTIV
  • Katharina Zwins, Head of the German-language fact-checking team at the international news agency Agence France-Presse (AFP)

Participants can ask questions afterward. The event will be moderated by Prof. Christina Elmer, Professor of Digital Journalism and Data Journalism at the Institute of Journalism at TU Dortmund University and Coordinator of the GADMO network. Interested parties can register here.

About GADMO:
The German-Austrian Digital Media Observatory (GADMO) aims to combat disinformation and misinformation in a coordinated manner. Leading fact-checking editorial teams in the German-speaking region, including Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa), Agence France-Presse (AFP), Austria Presse Agentur (APA), and CORRECTIV, are collaborating on this project. They are working with communication and data scientists from the Institute of Journalism and the Department of Statistics at TU Dortmund University, as well as the AIT Austrian Institute Of Technology. GADMO is part of the Europe-wide “European Digital Media Observatory” (EDMO), which is funded by the EU Commission and covers all 27 EU member states and Norway.

GADMO-Special Page for the Federal Election


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