Bulgarian Romanian Observatory of Digital Media

ongoing

Since 2022, BROD is an independent multidisciplinary hub countering disinformation together with partners from Bulgaria, Romania, and Europe. It succeeded in creating a collaborative framework engaging diverse stakeholders, from media to civil society, enhancing the region's capacity to confront disinformation threats. Building on these achievements, BROD 2.0 represents a transformative phase, expanding its scope to incorporate Moldova. This addition is vital, given Moldova's EU accession candidacy and its vulnerability to disinformation. BROD 2.0 aims to strengthen the governance of the EU Digital Media Observatory (EDMO) network, ensuring cohesive and coordinated actions against disinformation across Europe. By intensifying collaboration with fact-checkers, the project will bolster the credibility of its initiatives and foster a unified approach that transcends national borders. Research into disinformation trends in Bulgaria, Romania, and Moldova is a primary focus of BROD 2.0. This will produce actionable insights tailored to the unique socio-political contexts, enabling targeted interventions to mitigate misinformation. The project will also prioritize developing media literacy in partnership with regional and EU entities, empowering citizens to critically evaluate information. BROD 2.0 will also assess policy implications surrounding the EU Code of Practice and the Digital Services Act, contributing to the evolution of frameworks that pre-empt future disinformation challenges. The project seeks to refine its multi-stakeholder approach, engaging leading regional and EU partners like Adriatic and Hungarian Digital Media Observatories to enhance knowledge exchange, research collaboration, and media literacy efforts. In summary, BROD 2.0 aims at creating a more resilient informational ecosystem in the region - by incorporating Moldova and strengthening EU partnerships, it aspires to foster accurate democratic discourse and combat misinformation effectively.