On Wednesday, 16 September 2026, the Zagreb Centre for Independent Living hosted the fourth educational workshop within the institutional project ‘Dimensions of Digital Inclusion and Exclusion in Croatian Society (DIGI-HR)’, conducted by the Faculty of Croatian Studies at the University of Zagreb. The project activities aim to develop the digital skills of the Centre's users so they can participate in digital society more safely, independently and actively.
The workshop entitled ‘Truth or Deception? Fake News and Disinformation – How to Recognise Them’ was delivered by Assistant Professor Ana Marija Dunaj, PhD, from the Department of Sociology at the Faculty of Croatian Studies, University of Zagreb.
At the beginning of the workshop, the importance of media literacy in today's information environment was discussed — it has never been easier to access information, yet never harder to verify it. Participants were explained that media literacy means not only the ability to use digital devices and access information, but also the ability to analyse it, evaluate it critically and understand how media messages are created and spread.
Special attention was paid to distinguishing between information, opinion, unintentional error, satire and various forms of information disorder. The difference was explained between disinformation, which is created or spread with the intent to deceive, misinformation — inaccurate content that people share believing it to be true — and malinformation, where accurate information is used with the intent to cause harm.
Participants were also introduced to the development of the term ‘fake news’ and the reasons why the terms disinformation and misinformation are more precise.
Through concrete examples, four common types of misleading content were presented: false connection between the headline and the actual content, false context in which authentic content is presented as belonging to a different event, manipulated content such as photomontages and deepfakes, and completely fabricated content. It was emphasised that disinformation does not have to be entirely invented — often a real photograph, video or piece of data is used with an altered headline, date, place or context.
An important part of the workshop was dedicated to the question of how disinformation goes viral. Participants were shown the path a message can take from a closed group or messaging app, through social networks and other platforms, all the way to traditional media. The role of creators and spreaders of disinformation was discussed, as well as bots that can increase the visibility of certain content through automated sharing and create the illusion of its popularity.
It was also explained why people sometimes believe inaccurate information or forward it to others. A distinction was made between the motives for deliberately spreading disinformation — which may include financial gain, political influence, social status or the intent to cause harm — and unintentional sharing of content when users believe they are warning or helping others.
The spread of disinformation in crisis situations was discussed in particular, when an increased need for information and a large volume of diverse content create a favourable environment for rumours and inaccurate information.
The concepts of filter bubbles and echo chambers were explained, along with how the repetition of similar content can create the impression that a particular claim is generally accepted. The new challenges brought by artificial intelligence and deepfake technology were also discussed, which can be used to create convincing photographs, videos and audio recordings of events that never happened.
The second part of the workshop focused on the practical recognition and verification of suspicious content. Warning signs highlighted included messages that demand urgent sharing, provoke strong emotions, lack a clearly stated source, author or date, and promise ‘miraculous solutions’ or information allegedly hidden from the public.
At the end, participants received materials with the most important concepts and a ‘cheat sheet’ for verifying information.
The next workshop is planned in just one week, on the topic of services available through the e-Citizens system.