Today, Poland is the centre of the fight against the rights of LGBTQ people and women, mentioned for example by Freedom House, Amnesty International, and Human Rights Watch. The first link in the hate chain on social media is often organized disinformation, leading in fact to violence. Independent journalism in Poland is shrinking. Public funds are an effective means of putting pressure on the media. In the Reporters sans Frontières press freedom barometer, Poland dropped to 64th place in 2021 from 18th place in 2015.
This project addresses the lack of investigative media permanently monitoring topics such as organized disinformation targeted at human rights, and will enhance cooperation between journalists and watchdog organizations in Poland.
We will produce and activate the Extremism Tracker – documenting the activities of radical groups and organizations that conduct disinformation campaigns, spread hate (for example towards women, LGBTQ people), and undermine trust in science/medicine (anti-vaccination movement, climate change denial). The journalist investigations conducted in the Tracker will be published in the national media as well. We will preserve competencies and cooperation between journalists and watchdog organizations. We will conduct two webinars and three workshops on organized disinformation campaigns directed towards human rights.
Public awareness and knowledge of groups that spread xenophobia, homophobia, racism, and hate speech, and of unseen elements of manipulation, undermining human rights will increase, in effect – greater resilience to manipulation on the Internet. 25 people in the journalism and watchdog community will enhance their ability to react to organized disinformation and cooperation between these two groups.
The texts in the Tracker will reach an audience of tens of thousands, and 25 people in the journalism and watchdog community will participate in awareness-raising activities.