The ADMO Conference affirmed that combating disinformation is vital to strengthening democratic resilience

The final conference of the Adria Digital Media Observatory (ADMO) project, the regional center for combating disinformation in Croatia and Slovenia, took place yesterday in Zagreb, at the Office of the European Parliament. ADMO, one of fourteen regional hubs at the EU level, has, over the past two and a half years, consistently contributed to building a more resilient society through its three core areas of activities: disinformation research, media literacy empowerment, and fact-checking. The most important achievements and results were presented at the conference titled “Disinformation Under the Lens: ADMO Research Insights for Democratic Resilience.”

The project coordinator and lead researcher, Professor Mato Brautović from the University of Dubrovnik, opened the event by reflecting on the project's beginnings and its goal to establish a comprehensive multi-sectoral regional hub for combating disinformation. “When we launched ADMO in 2023, we set ourselves an ambitious but necessary goal: to create a regional hub that would monitor, analyze, and combat disinformation in Croatia and Slovenia, while remaining firmly rooted in the European EDMO network. Today, I can sincerely say we succeeded. We built something lasting, valuable, and truly significant—not just for our institutions, but for the democracy we live in,” he emphasized.

The strong partnership network, led by the University of Dubrovnik, included other higher education institutions: the Faculty of Political Science, the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing, and the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Zagreb; the think-tank GONG; the investigative journalism newsroom Oštro from Slovenia; N1 Television; Agence France-Presse (AFP); and the technology partner XWiki. “This strong, multidisciplinary team enabled us to take a comprehensive approach to the problem of disinformation,” said Prof. Brautović. He also announced continued cooperation and the expansion of the consortium in the coming period, as the ADMO 2.0 project is set to launch this September. The new phase will focus on advanced detection of deepfakes and AI-generated disinformation, media literacy programs aimed at youth and vulnerable groups, and even stronger connections with the European EDMO network and other relevant partners. “ADMO 2.0 will be our answer to the increasingly complex challenges of the digital age, and both existing and new partners will raise the bar even higher,” he said.

  Ivana Grkeš from ADMO highlighted the most important    achievements of the consortium over the past two and a    half years: “We published 13 research reports,     produced   600 fact-checks in three languages, held six   multi-day   training programs for over 130 students, and   ran numerous media literacy workshops for the general     public. Through a special N1 TV format called (Dis)info,      we explored and discussed global and local topics           related to disinformation,” said Grkeš. She also       announced the continuation of collaboration in ADMO     2.0, which, she noted, will be strengthened with new   media and academic partners.

 The final conference was attended by representatives from the   Croatian   Ministry of Culture and Media, the Agency for Electronic   Media, and the   European Commission Representation in Croatia.   State Secretary to the Cabinet of the Minister of Culture of     the Republic of Croatia, Krešimir  Partl emphasized that media   literacy, quality journalism, and robust r  egulation form a triangle of   defense against disinformation.

Josip   Popovac, President of the   Agency for Electronic Media, underlined that   ADMO significantly   strengthens Croatia’s media ecosystem by connecting   academia,   the media landscape, and civil society. 

Andrea Čović Vidović, Deputy  Head of the European Commission Representation in Croatia and Head of Media Team , stated that  the Digital Services Act, the first global regulation covering large digital platforms, completely changes the "rules of the game" and highlighted the need for projects like ADMO to be implemented both nationally and internationally.

The second part of the conference featured three panel discussions with experts from the fields of media, journalism, and digital sciences, addressing numerous topics raised throughout the project’s implementation.

The first panel, “From Data to Action – Using Research to Counter Disinformation Narratives,” focused on research carried out within the ADMO project. Alongside Prof. Brautović, researchers from partner organizations participated. Prof. Marijana Grbeša from the Faculty of Political Science warned that the rise of populism, fueled by manipulation and conspiracy theories, creates a “disinformation chaos” that undermines public trust. She stated that this fight is not a Sisyphean task, but requires a shift in approach and bridging the generational gap. Prof. Jan Šnajder from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing noted that generative AI makes it even harder to distinguish truth from lies, as technology is never neutral—even though he developed an advanced digital disinformation detection tool within ADMO. He also stressed the need to change our relationship with technology. Prof. Nebojša Blanuša from the Faculty of Political Science added that power centers in democracies are losing ground to autocracies, while disparate conspiracy theories are merging into a single narrative that bolsters illiberal regimes.

The second panel, “Decoding the Noise – Media Literacy for Resilient Societies,” focused on the importance of media literacy initiatives. The Assistant Professor Milica Vučković from the Faculty of Political Science emphasized that resilience to lies and manipulation is built through systematic media literacy education—a relatively recent initiative in Croatia. Milica Bogdanović from GONG added that all citizens, regardless of age or education level, need a combination of media, political, and digital literacy. Tihomir Ladišić, Program Director of N1 Television, warned of pressures and flawed business models that threaten quality journalism, while Ana Kirin, Editor-in-Chief of the Medijska pismenost portal, emphasized that media literacy must become a mandatory part of the school curriculum.

The final panel, “Truth Under Review – Impact and Perspectives of Fact-Checking in Times of Crisis,” focused on fact-checking and the challenges of today’s information environment. Ana Brakus, Executive Director of Faktograf, warned that platforms based on advertising models—as well as media outlets reliant on ad revenue—are increasingly allowing disinformation to slip through, while coordinated campaigns systematically undermine trust in journalism. Josip Šipić from Libela added that most narratives dominating social media are politically motivated. Domagoj Maričić, Assistant Director at HAKOM, emphasized that the Digital Services Act is a powerful mechanism, but regulators can only monitor implementation and report shortcomings to the European Commission—they cannot intervene in the content itself. Fact-checkers Isabelle Wirth (AFP) and Žana Erznožnik (Oštro Slovenia) reminded attendees that fact-checking is an integral part of journalism.

The continuation of the ADMO project, co-funded by the European Union through the Digital Europe program, is of crucial importance. Through research, awareness-raising, and various capacity-building methods, the project takes a comprehensive approach to addressing the spread of disinformation—thus laying the foundation for a safer and more informed society.