site.btaSofia's House of Europe to Host Conference on Organized Civil Society against Disinformation

A conference on "Organized Civil Society against Disinformation" will take place at Sofia's House of Europe on June 12, the organizers said on Saturday.

The event is organized by Bulgaria's Economic and Social Council (ESC) jointly with the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC).

Bulgaria has been selected to host the pilot edition of an EESC project which consists in holding events and information campaigns in the Member States.

"The unprecedented rise in disinformation practices poses a tangible threat to Europe and to democracy. The systematic spread of fake news aims to confuse the public and make people lose confidence in political institutions, reliable information sources, the health authorities, science and academic research," the organizers point out. 

Taking part in the official opening of the forum will be ESC President Zornitsa Roussinova, Bulgarian Vice President Iliana Iotova and EESC President Oliver Ropke. The keynote speaker will be BTA Director General Kiril Valchev.

Bulgarian and international experts and prominent journalists from various countries will share their experience in three panels: Civil Society Can Defeat Disinformation; Information and Disinformation in the Social Media Era; and Journalists against Disinformation: Good Practices and Ideas for the Future.