Russia Today Educates Future Journalists: Insights from Disinfo2025 Conference

The counter-disinformation community convened in Ljubljana, Slovenia earlier this month for the annual Disinfo2025 conference, at a time when the field faces unprecedented challenges. The gathering, organized by Brussels-based nonprofit EU Disinfo Lab, brought together journalists, attorneys, analysts, and fact-checkers to address the rapidly evolving information landscape.

The two-day event took place against a troubling backdrop: Meta has scrapped its fact-checking program, a known vaccine skeptic has been appointed as U.S. health secretary, and more readers are turning to AI chatbots for information. Discussions focused on foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI), sustainable economic models for journalism, and the growing power of online influencers in shaping geopolitical narratives.

Russian influence operations dominated many sessions, with experts highlighting Moscow’s evolving propaganda tactics. Pierre Dagard, head of global advocacy at Reporters Sans Frontières (RSF), noted Russia’s significant investment in training journalists, including the establishment of a War Correspondents’ School in occupied Ukrainian territories to develop “future propagandists.”

Jakub Śliż, president of fact-checking organization Pravda, described Russia’s expansion of cultural exchange institutions in Africa as vehicles for disinformation. “They are training the new wave of journalists, sending ambitious students to Moscow. Most of the CVs I receive have the Russia Today training program,” Śliż said, referring to RT’s free international journalism training launched in October 2024.

Russian state media outlets, facing sanctions in Western countries, have strategically shifted their focus to regions with existing anti-Western sentiment, including countries in Africa’s Sahel region and Serbia. According to Dagard, their mission has evolved “from an anti-EU position to a pro-Russia one.” Moscow has also created mirror organizations mimicking independent fact-checking institutions to promote Kremlin narratives about Ukraine.

The Trump administration’s attacks on media have created additional openings for Russian propaganda. Dagard noted that “the decision to dismantle the U.S. Agency for Global Media, which includes Radio Free Europe and Voice of America, was welcomed by the Kremlin publicly,” as fewer independent sources means “more space for Russian propaganda.”

Freedom of expression emerged as another key conference theme, particularly as the Trump administration targets the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), labeling it as “censorship” and threatening tariffs. Christine Allan de Lavenne from SIDE Law Office explained the historical differences between American and European approaches to free speech, with the U.S. First Amendment offering nearly absolute protection while Europe’s Article 10 emphasizes accompanying “duties and responsibilities.”

Allan de Lavenne warned that both systems have failed to prevent the “political instrumentalization” of free speech, which is increasingly being weaponized to “limit and constrain other human rights,” including health. Eliška Pírková from digital rights group Access Now attributed attacks on the DSA to “selective reading” of the legislation by those seeking to avoid accountability.

The conference also addressed the economic crisis facing journalism. Einar Hålien, editor at Norwegian media group Schibsted, highlighted “alarmingly high” levels of news avoidance and declining trust across the EU. Claire Atkin, cofounder of digital advertising watchdog Check My Ads, blamed ad tech intermediaries for eroding media revenues, calling for greater transparency and comprehensive regulation of the industry.

Dr. Hamza Al-Kateab, a physician who worked in besieged Aleppo, criticized media reports that use passive voice to obscure responsibility in conflict zones. He pointed to language differences in BBC coverage of Palestinian and Israeli casualties in Gaza, where Palestinians were often described as having “died” while Israelis were “killed.”

The growing influence of social media personalities on peace negotiations was highlighted by Karen Banaa from the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, who noted mediators increasingly engage with influencers to establish standards against spreading disinformation.

Experts also discussed technological aspects of disinformation. Sviatoslav Hnizdovsky of OpenMinds reported that malicious bot traffic has more than doubled in the past decade, with AI-generated propaganda now “at least as persuasive as human-generated content.” Meanwhile, Alden Wahlstrom from Google’s Threat Intelligence Group reminded attendees not to overlook low-tech influence methods like direct messages, which can be particularly intimidating when targeting seemingly private channels.

As the conference concluded, Imran Ahmed, CEO of the Center for Countering Digital Hate, urged regulators to enforce existing legislation against tech platforms. “Use the damn powers you now have—and help us to help you,” he said, emphasizing that regulators must transform “theoretical law into a value proposition” through comprehensive enforcement.