Battling Disinformation: Journalists, Scholars, and EU Experts Gather at UC3M for the 2025 FUTEUDISPAN Conference

The FUTEUDISPAN 2025 General Conference, held at Carlos III University of Madrid, brought together leading journalists, communication experts, and researchers to address the growing challenges facing journalism in the digital age. The event explored the impact of disinformation, artificial intelligence, and populist narratives on European media, with a strong focus on how institutions and journalists can safeguard reliable access to information. Organised as part of the dissemination activities of MediaLab’s FUTEUDISPAN Jean Monnet Chair, the conference served as a hub for collaborative strategies in protecting democratic communication.

The event featured presentations and a workshop coordinated by Carlos Rullán and Raquel Alonso from the European Parliament Office in Spain. The duo demonstrated how disinformation spreads across platforms like X and TikTok. Emphasising the urgency of media literacy, they warned about the emotional nature of viral content and the need for creative, accurate messaging. A key highlight of the conference was the presentation of the book, Journalism vs. Populism by its editors Rocío Sánchez and Jorge Tuñón, who stressed the importance of ethical journalism in a time of echo chambers and polarised discourse.

A roundtable gathered prominent journalists and fact-checkers including Emilio Ordiz (20 Minutos), Alba Leiva (El Orden Mundial), Rubén Rivas (USC), Paula Jiménez (ARTE.tv), and Jorge Ocaña (EFE Verifica), who examined journalism's role during hybrid wars and AI-driven manipulation. Speakers highlighted the risks of foreign interference, the speed at which falsehoods spread, and the EU’s response through the new AI Act, aimed at regulating the ethical use of artificial intelligence in public communication. With growing concern over declining public trust, they urged for more transparency, citizen engagement, and education around European institutions.

Through the FUTEUDISPAN project, along with other initiatives such as the EU Disinformation and Fake News Project and the Misinformation, Disinformation, and Hate Speech, MediaLab UC3M continues to lead efforts in combating disinformation, misinformation, and conspiracy theories across Europe and beyond. By combining academic research with practical outreach and institutional collaboration, the group plays a crucial role in strengthening democratic resilience, promoting media literacy, and supporting evidence-based public discourse in the face of growing digital manipulation