The consultation sessions were designed to gather information from experts including academics, journalists, and civil society organizations, regarding the features of disinformation in Italy, its causes, and main actors.
The sessions were conducted from May to the end of June. In July and September, the project team attempted to organize new sessions, but encountered difficulties in involving new experts to participate in person. In September, the project team decided to conclude the consultation to avoid hindering the development of the project and considering the amount of information gathered sufficient for a clear understanding to proceed with the local debates with citizens, which are related to the results of the consultation sessions.
All sessions followed a common pattern: a brief presentation of the project and the session’s objectives by the facilitator (a member of the project team), followed by a brief presentation of the topic. At least one member of the project team was always present to facilitate the discussion. Participants who attended multiple meetings were counted only once. The topics of the sessions were as follows:
- Disinformation and Technology: Identifying the topics most susceptible to disinformation.
- Identifying the topics most susceptible to disinformation, with a focus on Youth Criminality, Baby Gangs, and Disinformation.
- Migration and Disinformation.
- Migration and Disinformation.
- Migration and Disinformation.
Consultation session 1 took place in Turin on May 4, 2023 and involved eight participants, from academia and journalism. The discussion focused on conspiracy theories and their spread online, the use of technology, and specifically the changing landscape due to artificial intelligence.
Consultation session 2 took place in Turin on May 9, 2023, and involved representatives from civil society organisations, journalists, and academics, totalling nine participants.
The discussion focused on the phenomenon of “baby gangs,” specifically how the media, including local outlets, construct this phenomenon as a crime emergency. There was a focus on the misleading nature of the narratives presented, which often polarize by depicting foreign youths either as criminals or, conversely, as virtuous role models to emulate.
Consultation session 3 took place in Turin on June 7, 2023, and involved representatives from civil society organisations, lawyers and academics, in total six participants. The discussion focused on how to address misinformation regarding migration, particularly the relationship between technical knowledge and the media in this context.
Consultation session 4 took place in Turin on June 19, 2023, and involved academics, totalling eight participants. The discussion focused on the political use of misinformation on migration, drawing comparisons between Poland and Spain.
Consultation session 5 took place in Turin on June 26, 2023, and involved journalists, in total six participants. The discussion focused on the reasons behind the significant misinformation regarding migration in Italy, as well as the role and responsibilities of the media regarding this issue.
The total number of participants was higher than 37, but as previously mentioned, some individuals participated in more than one event and were consequently counted only once
Cofinanziato dall’Unione europea. I punti di vista e le opinioni espresse sono tuttavia esclusivamente quelli degli autori e non riflettono necessariamente quelli dell’Unione europea o dell’Agenzia esecutiva europea per l’istruzione e la cultura (EACEA). Né l’Unione Europea né l’autorità che concede il finanziamento possono essere ritenute responsabili.
