Jannar 2023
Debunk
Debunk.org is an independent technology think tank and NGO that carries out disinformation analysis and runs educational media literacy campaigns in 8 countries. The organisation has worked in the disinformation countering field since 2017.
Our team focuses on false and misleading coverage regarding the migration crisis on the EU border with Belarus, COVID-19, NATO, hybrid warfare, energy politics, and monitoring elections. In 2022, Debunk.org was a part of the Ukraine War Disinfo Work Group, which unites NGO’s and research centres from 14 countries and provides weekly reports on disinformation spread by the Kremlin about its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Recently, Debunk.org started a cooperation with Vilnius University and established the Baltic Disinformation Observatory, the main goal of which is to carry out multidisciplinary research into this topic.
Moreover, Debunk.org successfully worked together with Lithuanian public broadcaster LRT on an investigation of disinformation actors active on Facebook.
The organisation also participates in activities organised by the Radicalisation Awareness Network (RAN Practitioners), which connects frontline practitioners from across Europe to exchange knowledge, first-hand experiences, and approaches to preventing and countering violent extremism in all its forms. Notably, Debunk.org was also included amongst top leaders in the RoW100 list.
As for media literacy activities, in 2021 Debunk.org launched the Civic Resilience Course, which is now available in Lithuania and Montenegro. In 90 minutes, students are provided with basic skills of source and content analysis and helps to bolster their critical thinking.
Lithuania has been a leader in countering disinformation for more than a decade. In 2022, the incredible creatives from the Dutch public broadcaster made a documentary about disinformation countering efforts in the country, featuring Debunk.org alongside NFIU Lithuania, Lithuanian Armed forces, and the grassroots movement of volunteer fact-checkers “elves”.