Civil Society Initiatives Tackling Disinformation: Experiences of Central European Countries

Abstract

The challenge of propaganda and disinformation has not gone unnoticed by civil society actors. Their activities in this area represent an exemplary case study of the possibilities and limitations of active citizen involvement in the area of security. Therefore, this chapter aims to present the most relevant civil society initiatives tackling disinformation in the countries of central Europe—Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia. While not only describing the activities of civil society but also mapping the dynamic of reactions to the disinformation phenomenon and the identity of actors involved, it informs about the contexts in which they are operating. This approach allows similarities and differences among measures applied in central European countries to be found and illustrates that local conditions have a significant impact on the activities of civil society. Based on this conclusion, the chapter provides convincing evidence that a ‘one-size-fits-all’ strategy of measures against disinformation will fail, and thus, a more nuanced approach supported by proper research of local conditions is needed.