Baltic Engagement Center of Information Disorders

Welcome to the European Digital Media Observatory (EDMO) Baltic Hub BECID! We are a network of experts working to combat information disorders and promote media literacy in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. Coordinated by the University of Tartu and supported by the European Commission, our team includes universities, fact-checking organizations, media outlets, and a non-profit organization dedicated to media excellence.

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Our mission is to bring together experts in fact-checking, media literacy and academic research to detect and analyze disinformation campaigns, provide content and support to mainstream and local media and public authorities in exposing harmful disinformation. 

We focus on performing regular fact-checks, conducting studies on the perception of disinformation, and executing media literacy campaigns to increase information resilience and improve media literacy. 

Our key activities

1. Perform regular fact-checks within private and public media outlets in Baltics.
   Lead partner: AS Ekspress Meedia (Delfi EST).
2. Carry out studies on the perception of disinformation amongst different media audiences and analyze disinformation trends.
   Lead partner: University of Tartu.
3. Execute media literacy campaigns to increase information resilience and improve media/ digital literacy among different age groups.
   Lead partner: Baltic Centre for Media Excellence.

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BECID Partners

• University of Tartu, Institute of Social Studies (Estonia)

Representatives: Maia Klaassen, Inger Klesment, Regina Lapp, Andra Siibak, Marju Himma-Kadakas, Ragne Kõuts-Klemm, Signe Ivask, Krista Lepik, Kristjan Kikerpill, Sten Torpan, Maria Murumaa-Mengel, Diana Poudel.

• Tallinn University (Estonia)

Representatives: Andres Kõnno, Andres Jõesaar, Barbi Pilvre, Katrin Saks, Katrin Sigijane, Külli-Riin Tigasson. 

• Vytautas Magnus University (Lithuania)

Representatives: Rūta Vainauskaitė, Auksė Balčytienė, Kristina Juraitė, Ignas Kalpokas, Darius Amilevičius, Andrius Utka, Dmytro Iarovyi, Darius Remeika, Patricija Naujanytė.

• Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences (Latvia)

Representatives: Katrīne Kūkoja, Agnese Davidsone, Jānis Buholcs, Solvita Denisa Liepniece, Linda Veliverronena, Iveta Auniņa.

• Nodibinajums Baltijas Petnieciskas Zurnalistikas Centrs (Re:Baltica; Latvia)

Representatives: Sanita Jemberga, Evita Purina.

• Baltic Centre for Media Excellence (BCME) (Latvia)

Representatives: Gunta Sloga, Dalia Bankauskaite, Solvita Denisa-Liepniece.

• Delfi Uzdaroji Akcine Bendrove (DELFI UAB; Lithuania)

Representatives: Ieva Ivanauskaitė, Aistė Meidutė.

• Akciju Sabiedriba Delfi (AS Delfi, Latvia)

Representative: Filips Lastovskis.

• AS EKSPRESS MEEDIA (Estonia)

Representatives: Holger Roonemaa, Martin Laine, Kaili Malts.

 

 

Associated Partner

• Sia Vidzemes Televizija (Latvia)

Representatives: Elina Leimane, Inga Gorbunova.

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Vision and Mission

Vision

We aim to be the centre for the development and management of a long-term evidence-based strategy for MIL in the Baltic Sea region.

Mission

Our main mission is to provide specific knowledge of local information environments so as to strengthen the detection and analysis of disinformation campaigns and improve public awareness.

Principles of our Approach

Our approach to combating disinformation involves conducting a thorough analysis of the various actors, vectors, tools, and methods used in disinformation campaigns. We also examine the dissemination dynamics and prioritized targets of these campaigns. With this information, we are able to identify the specific needs of a given territory or linguistic area and develop customized media literacy campaigns to address them.

In addition to this work, we also collaborate with the European Digital Media Observatory (EDMO) to share best practices and contribute to their repositories of fact-checks, media literacy materials, and scientific articles. We use materials from the EDMO platform and also share our own educational and training materials to further the fight against disinformation.

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Fact checking

Our approach to combating disinformation in the Baltic region involves ensuring a continuous flow of fact checks and analyzing disinformation campaigns. To achieve this, we will produce national fact-checks, podcasts and videos on fact-checks and debunks, as well as case studies and analysis of propaganda and disinformation coming from Russia and Belarus. We will also provide reports on disinformation trends in the Baltic states, as well as on the use of automated tools for fact-checking and the implementation of codes of practice on disinformation by Baltic media actors.

Fact-checking team members

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Media Literacy

BECID will execute media literacy campaigns in the Baltic region with the goal of enhancing media literacy among primary and secondary school teachers, educating young social media activists on fact-checking, improving digital competencies among older and younger people through intergenerational training, promoting information resilience and encouraging civic activism among Russian-speaking residents, and enabling Baltic youth to co-create MIL hackathons.

Media literacy team members

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Research

We aim to improve fact-checking efforts within the BECID network, other EDMO fact-checking hubs, and the Baltic States. To do so, we analyze existing literature and tools for fact-checking, compare fact-checking practices and processes, study audience responses to and perceptions of different forms of fact-checking, and analyze media and platform regulations related to fact-checking. Based on this research, our team of researchers will develop a common methodology for analyzing the effectiveness of fact-checking and propose a code of conduct for BECID fact checkers. The goal is to more effectively counter disinformation and protect vulnerable audiences from its effects.

A team of researchers

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BECID homepage

BECID on Twitter

BECID events

BECID fact-checks