Time: Jun 3, 2020 03:00 PM CET
Debates on disinformation and misinformation related to COVID-19 have dominated discussions in the media industry, but what specific actions can we take to tackle the spread of false or misleading information? What tools should we use and how can we find and motivate the people who will do the monitoring and fact-checking? And what strategies should we employ to spread all that debunking to a broader audience, the ones who really need it?
Join Jaroslav Valuch, one of Central Europe’s leading experts in countering disinformation, for a practical guide on how to set up a volunteer-driven, fact-checking initiative from scratch. He will share honest lessons learned from the Czech project that he co-founded to deal with the infodemic around COVID-19. Click here for more information and to register.
The Balkan Medical Exodus
Higher wages and better work opportunities are pushing many health professionals in Albania, Kosovo, and North Macedonia to pack their bags for Western Europe. From Gazeta Shqiptare. Read more
Around the Bloc – 1 June
Our news roundup: vote for Putin scheduled; Christo dies; raspberries and ventilators in Bosnia; a lot of Azeri money in Europe; and Hizb ut-Tahrir in Uzbekistan. Read more.
Symbiotic Relationships
Symbios, a “social house” in Brno, aims to help young adults without adequate family situations adjust to everyday life. From Novinky.cz. Read more.
In the news today: Kosovo’s prime minister; Germany parries Russian cyberattack; Budapest remembers Danube tragedy; tourists return to Croatia; and an Easter mass in Romania. Read more.
News from around the bloc: Kadyrov and the catheter; new doc on Polish Catholic Church abuses; borders open in Central Europe; unrest in Tajikistan; and visa scandals in Bosnia. Read more.
By Martin Ehl – In pandemic time, citizens and governments are saying: Because we don’t trust each other, we have to behave a bit more responsibly than usual. Read more.
Kremlin Expands Online Voting Possibilities Amid COVID-19 Fears
Moscow takes its latest step towards digitizing elections. From Global Voices. Read more.
Highlights from our coverage region: Hungary to end coronavirus decree; Russia plans parades; Montenegrin border closed for Serbians; Kazakhstan’s protest law; and Polish animal rights NGOs fall on hard times. Read more.
Fear and Hope in Time of Pandemic
By Boyko Vassilev – Balkan leaders stress the fear factor to keep the populace in line, but have they gone too far? Read more.
Sign up for our Going on Assignment foreign reporting online course for training and mentoring from BBC and Reuters journalists. Early bird application deadline: 15th June 2020
Course dates: 20th July 2020 – 31st July 2020 Interested? For more information please visit the TOL Education page.
Today’s news headlines: ECHR vs. Azerbaijan; sanatoriums in Sochi; Romania feuds with Moldova; Putin and Bloomberg; and a Latvian tracing app. Read more.
Our news roundup: protests break out in Belarus; Russian airspace violations; NGOs in Kyrgyzstan targeted; remote voting in Russia; and a cross-ethnic, Balkan friendship. Read more.
Are you interested in press freedom? Join Jeremy Druker, the executive director of Transitions, and other panelists for an online discussion about the situation across Europe. The event is organized by the Young European Federalists Tübingen as part of the Festival of Human Rights in the city of Tübingen in Germany. For more information, please see the Facebook post.