Disinformation

The OSCE RFoM recognizes disinformation as a challenge that impacts both media freedom and security. Guided by Articles 19 and 20 of the ICCPR, the Representative facilitates dialogue among media outlets, fact-checkers, civil society organisations and relevant state institutions to foster a shared understanding of how disinformation can undermine public-interest journalism, threaten information integrity and erode public trust in the media.

Responses to disinformation must be transparent, proportionate and firmly rooted in international standards. The OSCE RFoM emphasizes that access to information, a pluralistic media landscape offering news that serves the public interest, media literacy, and journalism based on ethical principles all contribute to a more resilient society. When the media operate freely and independently in the public interest, they provide citizens with reliable alternatives to false or manipulative narratives, and help sustain an open and informed public debate. Strong independent ethical journalism, rooted in media freedom and safety of journalists, is the most effective long-term safeguard against disinformation.