Independent journalism and civil society are under growing financial strain, while advances in AI have accelerated global disinformation—fueling conflict, threatening democracy and human rights, and disrupting efforts in public health and climate action. Information integrity is vital to economic stability, democratic security, and civic cohesion. Despite the clear and present danger posed by disinformation, current EU and national funding mechanisms do not adequately prioritize or strategically allocate resources to counter this threat.
RNW Media—as an international media development organization based in the Netherlands—draws on 75+ years of global experience lead action through a joint statement, supported by 65 organization and thought leaders, offering practical recommendations to build resilient, rights-based information ecosystems. We believe Europe has a unique opportunity to sustain public funding mechanisms that uphold information integrity. The EU has played a key role in shaping the global information landscape through regulation—but without decisive action, the consequences will ripple far beyond Europe, especially in the Global South.
The joint statement, published on our website, “Prioritizing Funding for Information Integrity in the EU and Beyond”, include some key demands.
- Significantly Increase and Dedicate Funding: Allocate specific funding within the next MFF and national budgets to initiatives focused on information integrity, independent journalism, and civil society organizations actively countering disinformation.
- Integrate Disinformation Countermeasures Across All Policy Areas: Recognize that disinformation impacts all policy domains from climate action to public health, and crucially, economic and societal stability – and integrate robust countermeasures and funding streams into relevant sectoral strategies and programs
- Foster Cross-Sectoral, Multistakeholder Collaboration and Innovation: Expand the promotion and fund collaborative efforts between governments, civil society, media organizations, academia, and technology companies to develop innovative solutions and share best practices in combating disinformation.
- Strengthen Global Partnerships: Support initiatives that extend beyond EU borders, recognizing that disinformation is a global challenge. Leverage frameworks like Global Gateway to bolster information integrity in partner countries, particularly in global-majority regions, recognizing the interconnectedness of global information environments
- Ensure Flexibility and Responsiveness in Funding: Create funding mechanisms that are agile enough to respond to the rapidly evolving landscape of disinformation, including the emergence of new AI-driven threats identified by journalists as a major concern.
RNW Media, together with its partners, will now engage with EU policymakers to advocate for this dedicated funding If you or your organisation would like to sign the joint statement, please e-mail our Advocacy Manager at giovana.fleck@rnw.org
Read the full joint statement and list of endorsers https://www.rnw.media/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/AdvocacyReport02-Prioritizing-Funding-for-Information-Integrity-in-the-EU-and-Beyond_Final.pdf