Athens Alitheia Forum: International Platform for Combating Fake News and Misinformation
Athens, March 4 – The General Secretariat for Communication and Information, in collaboration with the Deputy Minister to the Prime Minister, Pavlos Marinakis, is organizing the Athens Alitheia Forum titled “Confronting fake news and toxic discourse.” The event is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, March 10, and Wednesday, March 11, aiming to establish an institutional platform for discussing the crisis of misinformation and the spread of fake news.
The Athens Alitheia Forum, launching this year, seeks to initiate a comprehensive dialogue on the challenges posed by disinformation. Its primary objective is to develop initiatives that safeguard public discourse and, more importantly, protect citizens from the adverse effects of false information. This forum highlights Greece’s significant progress in media freedom, journalist safety, and the rule of law, as recognized by the European Commission’s annual report on the Rule of Law and Press Freedom.
Addressing the Impact of Misinformation
The forum will delve into how misinformation affects every citizen, exploring the dissemination and proliferation of fake news, its often uncritical acceptance, and the underlying reasons for this phenomenon. A key focus will be on how this often fuels toxicity and populism, which can then be amplified across various public platforms.
This institutional initiative, intended to become an annual event, aims to answer critical questions:
- How can social media be used responsibly, especially by younger generations?
- How can freedom of expression be strengthened through the pursuit of truth and the verification of information sources?
- Does online anonymity contribute to misinformation and toxicity?
The forum’s overarching goal is to enhance the reliability of news and information, always prioritizing freedom of speech without exclusion. Simultaneously, it seeks to prevent the exploitation of anonymity that leads to behaviors detrimental to society and genuine information.
Distinguished Participants and Key Discussions
The Athens Alitheia Forum will feature a diverse array of participants, including members of the Greek Government, European officials, university professors, social media experts, psychologists, academics, representatives of political parties, journalists, and leaders of journalistic associations. This broad participation underscores the multifaceted nature of the challenge and the need for a collaborative approach.
The conference proceedings will conclude on Wednesday afternoon with a discussion led by the Prime Minister and President of New Democracy, Kyriakos Mitsotakis. He will engage in a conversation with Giannis Pretenteris, Publisher of the newspaper TO VIMA, and Giannis Theocharis, Professor of Digital Governance and holder of the eponymous chair at the Technical University of Munich.
The full program of the conference, which will be held at the Intercontinental Hotel, can be found on the General Secretariat for Communication and Information’s website: media.gov.gr/athens-alitheia-forum. The event will also be broadcast live via the Secretariat’s channel.
Source: General Secretariat for Communication and Information, ertnews.gr
