Season 3 of Decoding Disinformation kicks off with a deep dive into disinformation targeting climate journalists, as Javier Luque and Clara Jiménez Cruz unpack the false narratives surrounding the deadly Valencia floods.We kick off Season 3 of IPI's podcast series "Decoding Disinformation". In this first episode, host Javier Luque, Head of Digital Media & Online Safety at IPI, and guest Clara Jiménez Cruz, CEO and co-founder of Maldita.es, discuss the challenges faced by climate journalists in the face of disinformation campaigns, particularly focusing on the Valencia floods. They explore the various actors involved in spreading misinformation, including influencers and foreign entities, and the impact of these narratives on public trust in media and institutions. The conversation also delves into the role of social media platforms and the evolving strategies needed to combat disinformation in the future.Make sure to subscribe to "Decoding Disinformation" podcast series!

You can also find us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSb64c36i5V7BNmCmVqnrkE7Cx1uWRcCC

Episode 4 of the podcast series Decoding Disinformation delves into CheckFirst's investigation of the so-called 'Operation Overload'.Operation Overload was a large-scale disinformation campaign targeting journalists and fact-checkers, feeding them fake content aligned with a pro-Russian agenda. The operation involved the creation and distribution of fabricated assets, such as images, videos, and screenshots, designed to appear credible and relevant to the news cycle. This content was disseminated through various channels, including emails, Telegram, and X.The operation primarily targeted journalists and fact-checkers in Europe, focusing on anti-Ukraine and anti-France narratives within the context of the Olympic Games.The goal was to drain the time and resources of fact-checkers and journalists while attempting to shape public opinion.Listen to our conversation with Guillaume Kuster, co-founder and CEO of CheckFirst, who exposed “Operation Overload.” Get a sneak peek behind the scenes of this investigation. Main takeaways:

> Operation Overload is a large-scale disinformation operation targeting journalists and fact-checkers with fake content aligned with a pro-Russian agenda.

> The operation involves the creation and distribution of fake assets, such as images and videos, that are designed to appear credible and relevant to the news cycle.

> The content is disseminated through various channels, including emails, Telegram, and X.

> The operation primarily targets journalists and fact-checkers in Europe, with a focus on anti-Ukraine and anti-France narratives.

The goal of the operation is to waste the time and resources of fact-checkers and journalists, while also attempting to shape public opinion.Guest: Guillaume Kuster, co-founder and CEO, CheckFirst networkProducer and host: Javier Luque, head of digital communications at IPI

Melita Vrsaljko and her cameraman were physically attacked twice on July 15. Melita is a journalist living in a small town in Croatia and had recently covered several environmental issues, including an alleged illegal dumping in her own town, which seemed to have infuriated the owners of those facilities prompting the alleged assault.

But this case goes beyond what appears to be an isolated incident. Melita works for Faktograf, one of the leading fact-checking organizations in Croatia, which has faced online threats and smear campaigns by political actors for years. However, the organization has seen a significant increase in such attacks since launching the Climate Portal a few months ago. This project monitors all disinformation campaigns and bad practices related to the climate emergency.

Unfortunately, this is not a phenomenon exclusive to Croatia. “Climate and Environmental Journalism Under Fire,” an extensive report published by the International Press Institute in 2023, compiles similar experiences from nearly 40 environmental and climate journalists in 21 countries across the Americas, Europe, Africa, and Asia.

The report explores the specific challenges faced by freelancers and local journalists and examines the impact of the failure of the rule of law and public-sector corruption.

Our guest today is Petar Vidov, editor-in-chief of Faktograf, and we’ll be discussing the attacks on Faktograf for their work debunking false news related to the climate crisis.

• IPI-led Decoding Disinformation project

Episode 1: How Austria’s far right sows distrust in media

Episode 2: France at tilting point as journalists face far-right disinfo attacks

Episode 1: Setting the Scene

Episode 2: How journalists investigate the far right

Episode 3: Fact-checkers targeted by populists in Europe

Episode 4: When disinformation campaigns fuel hate and harassment

Episode 5: Alexander Roth – Smeared and threatened by the far-right next door

Episode 6: Franziska Tschinderle – Attacked by Orbán’s state media

Guest: Petar Vidov, Editor-in-Vhief, Faktograf, Croatia.Producer and host: Javier Luque, head of digital communications at IPIRelated links mentioned in the episode:Other episodes in this series:Season 2Season 1