The Balkan Working Group on Disinformation is a regional, multi-stakeholder initiative convened by the Center for Information, Democracy, and Citizenship (CIDC) at the American University in Bulgaria (AUBG). Our goal is to combat disinformation, strengthen information integrity, and enhance democratic resilience in the Balkans by bringing together experts and stakeholders for collaborative discussions, research, and strategic action.
Through country-based working groups, we will analyze regional disinformation trends, identify effective countermeasures, and develop actionable recommendations to promote media literacy and combat malign influence.
Who Should Engage?
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- Civil society organizations working on media literacy, human rights, and democracy-building.
- Journalists and media professionals focused on investigative reporting and fact-checking.
- Scholars and researchers studying disinformation, digital governance, and political influence.
- Policy analysts and government officials involved in shaping media regulations and information security.
- Private sector representatives interested in ethical tech, digital security, and responsible media engagement.
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- Albania
- Bosnia & Herzegovina
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Greece
- Kosovo
- Montenegro
- North Macedonia
- Romania
- Serbia
- Slovenia
Why Engage?
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- Gain insights into emerging disinformation trends in your country and across the Balkan region
- Collaborate with leading experts to identify and analyze malign narratives.
- Contribute to regional research on policy solutions for countering disinformation.
- Develop counter-narrative strategies to strengthen information integrity.
- Participate in knowledge-sharing and capacity-building activities to enhance digital literacy and resilience.
How the Working Groups Function
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Participants will join a dedicated working group for their country.
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Each cohort will convene six times virtually, focusing on key disinformation challenges.
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Discussions will be evidence-based, solution-oriented, and multi-disciplinary.
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Findings will feed into policy briefs, research reports, and strategic recommendations to improve information integrity.
Building Regional Resilience
This initiative aims to strengthen Balkan-wide cooperation in combating disinformation and promoting sustainable, research-driven solutions.
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- Develop a regional framework for countering malign influence and disinformation.
- Enhance multi-stakeholder collaboration between government, media, academia, and civil society.
- Support policymakers and journalists with research-backed strategies for identifying and combating disinformation.
- Increase public awareness and media literacy to empower citizens with the tools to recognize and resist manipulation.
- Create a context-driven categorization and tagging of narratives to enable a nuanced taxonomization of malign narratives across the Balkan region.
Active Working Groups
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Period of work: April - September 2025
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Period of work: May - October 2025
BULGARIA WORKING GROUP Report May 2025
Explore the 2nd Bulgaria Working Group Report - Mapping Disinformation Narratives in Bulgaria, May 2025
ALBANIA WORKING GROUP Report May 2025
Explore the Albania Working Group May 2025 Report - Mapping Disinformation Narratives in Albania
BULGARIA WORKING GROUP Report April 2025
Explore the Bulgaria Working Group April 2025 Report - Mapping Disinformation Narratives in Bulgaria
DISCLAIMER
These reports summarize observations, illustrative examples, and preliminary perspectives shared by participants during the meeting. These reflections are provided to inform further analysis and dialogue, rather than to present definitive findings. The content represents working assumptions and subjective interpretations, which have not been independently validated or supported by empirical data. Accordingly, any conclusions drawn should be regarded as provisional and interpreted with caution.
Get Involved: Join a Working Group
Interested in joining a country-specific cohort and contributing to this critical initiative? Apply now to be part of the Balkan Working Group on Disinformation and help shape the future of information integrity in the region.