Conspiracy theories and fake news

Political Capital has been involved in the fight against conspiracy theories, fake news, disinformation and the post-truth phenomenon in general since 2010. We have researched how anti-Semitic conspiracy theories work; conspiratorial thinking in France, Slovakia and Hungary; the political effects of migration-related fake news, disinformation and conspiracy theories; and the operation of the Kremlin-controlled disinformation machine and the security threats it poses to Central and Eastern Europe. We examined the youth’s media consumption trends in cooperation with international partners and, most importantly, the effects of fake news and propaganda in the V4 and the Balkans. In Hungary, we conducted a comprehensive study on the prevalence of conspiracy theories, fake news and superstitions.

We are also striving to be actively involved in countering the spread of fake news and conspiracy theories. We are raising awareness about the problem on conferences, events in the capital and the countryside, articles, social media campaigns and trainings. In our monthly disinformation watch articles, we regularly collect and debunk manipulative content about important public issues. We create guidelines on recognising and arguing against manipulative articles, information.