ABOUT
My methods and steps along the way
ADVICE FROM FINNS
10 Commandments For Fighting Disinformation by Barbora Novotna
This handbook for journalists is based on more than ten experts on disinformation and/or media education in Finland. I took the most repeated pieces of advice or the ones that I find important based on my further research in this matter and compile them into 10 different chapters. I couldn’t cover everything related to disinformation, so I tried to link to other great materials as much as possible. This handbook isn’t meant to be for professionals on disinformation but more for every ordinary journalist since nowadays, anyone can come across disinformation at any time. It is initially meant for Czech newspapermen, but everyone, who is interested in the disinformation in general, is welcome to use it.
WHY SHOULD WE LISTEN TO FINNS WHEN IT COMES TO DISINFORMATION
Finns have taken over a lot of first places in rankings. They are second in press freedom, they are the happiest country, and Finland is well known for one of the best educational systems in the world. Finns also top in media literacy and the trust of the media.
Finland as well stands out when it comes to fighting disinformation. Great media education starting from a very young age, as early as in kindergartens, is a standard within the Finnish educational system. Media houses collaborate with each other but also with the Finnish government in Mediapool, an organization whose aim is to safeguard media activity in Finland and ensuring the freedom of speech. The government has invited foreign experts to teach the officials how to tackle down disinformation but also has its professionals, such as Jussi Toivanen, the chief Communications specialist at Prime Minister's Office, which educate officials, journalists, teachers and citizens about this manner.
All of these achievements don’t mean that Finland has won the war on disinformation. This war, according to Johanna Vehkoo, an investigative journalist, who organizes and leads workshops about misinformation and fake news, is never going to be over. But Finland is doing a lot to win its battles. And that’s the reason why we should listen to Finns when it comes to disinformation and try to learn from their experiences as much as we can.
WORKSHEETS FOR SCHOOLS
When I was thinking about the concept of the subject, I was trying to also find the best way how to educate people about disinformation. And I came to an opinion that it's best to teach kids at school about it, since they learn quickly, they are on the internet all the time, and when they will learn it at a young age, they will use the knowledge during their whole lives. So they will never become people that share/produce disinformation and don’t want to even discuss the issue or find the facts. But the media education isn’t that widespread in Czech schools, so I want to make the schools to consider adding it to their curriculum and give them some tools so it can be easier in the start. Therefore I will make a worksheet for schools they can use within media education and I am preparing an educational game about disinformation.
VIDEOS
For citizens
With almost all of my oral sources, I have created short 30-90 seconds long video with pieces of advice regarding this topic for ordinary people.
THE EXPERTS I HAVE WORKED WITH
The principle of the French Finnish school of Helsinki, and the former Secretary-General of the European School system, has over 30 years of experience in education and has worked in international schools in Finland, Luxembourg and Brussels. He currently collaborates with an organisation Faktabaari on new tools for media education.
The editor in fact checking service Faktabaari with professional experiences from media, e.g. as a journalist at Talouselämä, Markkinointi&Mainonta and Fakta.
Faktabaari is a non-partisan journalistic service that mainly focuses on fact-checking during elections working through social media. The organisation also put its effort on media and collaborates with some of the Finnish schools and the EU.
Head of Preparedness in Media Pool, which aim is to safeguard media activity in Finland. Among the association’s main aims is supporting of the technical preparedness of information communication against crises, ensuring freedom of speech, the right of reply and correction, and promoting cybersecurity in media companies. The exceptionality of Media Pool lies in the unique collaboration of public and private sector.
Chief Communications Specialist at the Prime Minister’s Office. Toivanen has been traveling around Finland and educating the officials, teachers and others about how to spot the fake news.
Associate Professor at University of Helsinki in Religion and the Digital World and researcher in Research Centre Comet of Tampere University. Among her interests of research are hybrid media events, media and the nation, media and social theory, circulation in media society and media and religion.
Ombudsman in the Union of Journalists in Finland.
The Union of Journalists in Finland has almost 15 000 members, that is more than 90% of Finnish journalists, and it’s main aims are safeguarding professional ethical standards and copyrights and ensuring the freedom of expression.
Investigative journalist who has recently published her book Putinin trollit, revealing the Russian fake news warfare.
Deputy Director at the National Audiovisual Institute (KAVI) working as a media literacy and education specialist. KAVI operates under the Finnish government, promoting media education and literacy, active citizenship and better media environment for all.
Journalist, writer and researcher, who has recently published her fourth book: The Lie Detector’s Handbook. Vehkoo is a freelancer and one of the founders of Long Play which publishes investigative journalism, extensive reports, portraits, essays and other long stories in digital format. She gives seminars and organizes workshops about fact-checking, disinformation, fake news and others.
Jed Willard
Director of the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Center for Global Engagement at Harvard University Jed Willard was hired by Finnish government to train state officials how to spot and then hit back at disinformation. He also participated in a conference on this topic in Prague, and prepared a training proposal for the Ministry of the Interior in the Czech Republic. However, the project was not approved.
Katja Lehtisaari
University Lecturer, Media and Communication Studies, Supervisor for doctoral programme, Doctoral Programme in Social Sciences
Katja Lehtisaari was my contact person in Finland, went through the project with me multiple times giving feedback.
ORDER OF CHAPTERS
I sorted all the materials and knowledge I've collected in Finland into ten chapters with subheads.
I put chapters with similar topics next to each other. The handbook starts with the most important topics, that for some are surely well known, but are necessary to use. I also put in the front pieces of advice that journalists are going to use in everyday life.
In later chapters, there are more complicated recommendations, which also take a longer period of time to fulfill.
The handbook is crowned by chapter about Ethics, which can be seen as a moral lesson.