{"id":19366,"date":"2025-07-09T11:29:37","date_gmt":"2025-07-09T11:29:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rnw.media\/?page_id=19366"},"modified":"2025-07-21T10:53:41","modified_gmt":"2025-07-21T10:53:41","slug":"truth-shield-360","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.rnw.media\/index.php\/truth-shield-360\/","title":{"rendered":"Truth Shield 360\u00b0"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Tackling Disinformation as a Threat to Democracy, Human Rights and Security<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h5>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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About The Initiative<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Truth Shield 360\u00b0 is a global initiative spearheaded by RNW Media and partners to counter the growing threat of disinformation to the connective tissues within societies, and access to information as a public good.<\/p>

The initiative is a comprehensive framework to tackle disinformation across\u00a0the entire digital media content lifecycle<\/strong>, through six interconnected pillars<\/strong>\u00a0for lasting impact, based on multistakeholder involvement <\/strong>for Collective Action.<\/p>

Officially launched during the 2025 Digital Media Impact Summit<\/b> (DMIS), the initiative brings together several public interest media and digital rights organisations to facilitate joint efforts to protect information integrity, empower independent journalism, and strengthen civic resilience.<\/p>

By engaging with those actors and broader stakeholders from the Vine- RNW Media\u2019s global community, consisting of 25 public interest media, 80 media trainers, and 10.000 alumni, the Truth Shield 360\u00b0 aims to rebuild trust in media, safeguard public discourse, and ensure democratic stability in the face of rising online manipulation.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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The initiative is endorsed by <\/span>KirkukNow<\/span><\/a> (Iraq), Mas Voces Foundation & el Toque<\/a><\/span>\u00a0(Cuba), <\/span>Benbere<\/span><\/a> (Mali), and 7amleh<\/a> (<\/span>Palestine<\/span>).<\/span><\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tJoin the Iniative now<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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The Problem<\/strong><\/h1>

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In recent years, disinformation has evolved into a critical threat\u2014not only to electoral integrity and the very fabric of democratic societies but to the stability and trust across all types of governance systems and national security worldwide. Recent conflicts around the world, including information manipulation in Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, Gaza war, Iran\u2013Israel conflict, and tensions between India\u2013Pakistan<\/strong>, have been exacerbated by targeted disinformation campaigns. Disinformation spreads confusion, incites violence, and erodes public trust in institutions, undermining social cohesion.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Disinformation also threatens fundamental human rights<\/strong>\u2014undermining freedom of expression, access to information, and personal safety. It is often weaponized to justify censorship, silence civil society, and incite discrimination or violence. Tackling disinformation is not only a security imperative, but also essential to protect democratic values and human rights.<\/p>

From established democracies to authoritarian systems, disinformation has been present as a political force. Elections<\/strong> globally – from Africa to Europe – such as the <\/span>2024 Romanian election<\/span><\/a>– have been manipulated by AI-generated deepfakes, coordinated online campaigns, and algorithmic amplification of false narratives. International bodies such as the <\/span>United Nations<\/span><\/b>, <\/span>European Union<\/span><\/b>, and <\/span>NATO<\/span><\/b> now recognize disinformation as a hybrid threat to peace and democratic resilience.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Our information environment is under siege. As outlined in the EU\u2019s <\/span>Democracy Shield<\/span><\/i> and frameworks such as the UN\u2019s <\/span>Code of Conduct for Information Integrity on Digital Platforms<\/span><\/i>, urgent collective action is needed to secure the digital commons.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Our Positioning<\/strong><\/h1>

RNW Media stands at the forefront of combating disinformation and building online resilience for public interest media to navigate within a polluted information ecosystem. <\/span><\/p>

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. Existing frameworks, such as the EU’s Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF)<\/strong> and initiatives like Global Gateway<\/strong>, while important, often lack dedicated, scaled-up provisions for comprehensive information integrity programs. While efforts like the European Democracy Shield<\/strong> are a step in the right direction, they need substantial financial backing to translate into tangible impact across the continent and beyond. Together with groups such as the Global Forum for Media Development (GFMD), RNW Media submitted inputs into public consultations regarding the MFF and Democracy Shield. Yet, information integrity is a cross-cutting issue that, as observed above, is worth valuing and including across funding initiatives at the EU and national levels.<\/p>

In our joint statement<\/a> endorsed by 49 <\/strong>public interest media, civil society organizations, and thought leaders<\/strong>, we call for proactive, preventative, and systemic approaches rooted in:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>