VERN' University and HUDI join forces to combat disinformation and fake news in the tourism sector.
As part of the project to launch a fact-checking service to combat the spread of disinformation and fake news in the tourism sector, initiated by VERN' University and the Croatian Association of Digital Publishers (HUDI), a new fact-checking team was established within HUDI, which included the following members: Dr. Marija Slijepčević and Nataša Jeličić from VERN' University, Ana Šoda from Telegram Media Group, Višnja Kragić Mahmutović and Marko Šnidarić from 24 sata, Doris Kezić from Hanza Media, Matea Čelebij a from Index promocija, Andreja Žapčić from NoveTV and Iva Vasilj from tportal, while Iva Šalamon from HUDI was elected as the team president.
The project is being implemented with the support of the initiative of the Ministry of Culture and Media and the Agency for Electronic Media "Establishment of a System for Fact-Checking and Publishing Public Data", and will use modern technology and new methodologies to ensure the accuracy and reliability of information within the tourism sector.
The main goals of the project are to reduce the spread and strengthen society's resistance to misinformation, increase the reliability and security of information in the consumption of media content and the use of social networks in the tourism sector, improve the quality of journalism, promote credible reporting and strengthen media literacy in the tourism sector.
"Information selection will take place through two channels. The first is press clipping through given keywords and media that comes to the newsroom's mail. The second channel of information collection is citizens, since anyone will be able to report news/information that they suspect is true, which is a common method for all fact-checking platforms. The collected information will then be analyzed by experts in the newsroom. VERN' University and HUDI, as project initiators, will continuously work on educational programs that will help identify fake news within the industry and improve fact-checking methodologies. In addition, HUDI will carry out various communication activities to popularize fact-checking and raise public awareness, mitigating the impact of fake news on Croatian citizens," said VERN's Ph.D. Marija Slijepčević .
During the development phase of the project, VERN' University will strengthen its fact-checking capabilities by conducting trainings and workshops in cooperation with international fact-checking platforms. A specific methodology and fact-checking platform will be developed for publishing in-depth analyses, and experts will receive extensive training in information analysis. Core project strategy
includes daily monitoring of social networks, digital media and online platforms — to identify fake news and misinformation. Therefore, as part of the project, the education of students will be carried out and an engaged editorial team will be formed within the University of VERN'.
"This collaboration brings together an academic institution and a professional association that brings together media outlets in Croatia, enabling a mutual exchange of knowledge that will lead to the development of a fact-checking methodology and the establishment of a new platform that will provide timely and accurate information while preserving the integrity of the industry. By establishing a fact-checking team, the project has brought together qualified experts who closely monitor social networks, digital media and online platforms. Their role is to identify and promptly and effectively respond to fake news, disinformation and misinformation," said the newly elected president of the fact-checking team, Iva Šalamon from HUDI.
The project's results and findings, along with all produced materials, will be published on the project's website and digital channels of HUDI member media. Furthermore, the project will host public events, conferences and panels to promote fact-checking, while VERN' University will implement continuous education programs for the public, students and partners.
By combining academic expertise, industry collaboration and advanced technology, VERN' University and HUDI will empower the tourism sector in the fight against disinformation and ensure accurate dissemination of information, with joint efforts to build a more informed society and the wider application of fact-checking practices.
Funded by the European Union – NextGenerationEU. The views and opinions expressed are those of the author only and do not necessarily reflect the official views of the European Union or the European Commission, nor of the Agency for Electronic Media. The European Union and the European Commission, nor the Agency for Electronic Media, cannot be held responsible for them.
