UNESCO resources

UNESCO works to address causes and consequences of disinformation as part of its mandate to promote the rights to access to information and freedom of expression on any medium and regardless of frontiers. Following the massive wave of disinformation experienced in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, many activities are specifically tailored to strengthen citizens’ resilience to health disinformation and disinformation on COVID-19.

UNESCO’s response to disinformation

Research

Policy research, dialogue and recommendations to assist UNESCO Member States to formulate legislative, regulatory and policy responses to counter disinformation at the same time as respecting freedom of expression, access to information and privacy rights.

Monitoring and reporting

Monitoring and reporting of trends and developments in disinformation and related topics in the field of Communication and Information.

Strengthening the media

Strengthening professional and diverse media’s role as fact-checkers for the public by supporting their access to verified information on COVID-19 and building their capacity to report on the pandemic. This includes providing journalists with guidance and training in health reporting, media deontology and safety when covering pandemic.

Strengthening local fact-checking organisations

Strengthening local fact-checking organisations to debunk misinformation

Empowering youth

Empowering youth and other citizens to critically process what they read and hear as part of the fundamental right to seek and receive information through media and information literacy

useful resources

Communication and Information Webinars on COVID-19

UNESCO is organizing webinars to discuss and find solutions to the unprecedented challenges for the media and digital technology sectors amid the COVID-19 crisis.

Combating the Disinfodemic: Working for truth in the time of COVID-19

This UNESCO and UNITAR collaboration builds your understanding of the disinfodemic and the role of truth in the time of COVID-19. Access to reliable and accurate information is critical at the best of times, but during a crisis it can be a matter of life and death.

Covering the COVID-19 Vaccine: what journalists need to know

Joint collaboration between the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas at the University of Texas at Austin, co-funded by the European Union

Journalism in a pandemic: Covering COVID-19 now and in the future

A Self-Directed course available in multiple languages to help journalists report on the pandemic. The course was launched by UNESCO and WHO and organized by the Knight Centre for Journalism in the Americas at the University of Texas at Austin with the support of UNDP and the European Union. Over 9000 journalists from 162 countries took the course during its first month run.

The “hate speech” policies of major platforms during the COVID-19 pandemic

Disinformation during the pandemic and Latin America’s regulatory response

Balancing Act: Countering Digital Disinformation while respecting Freedom of Expression

This publication provides a suite of sector-specific actionable recommendations and a 23-step assessment tool for Member States.

Media and Information Literacy (MIL)

Resources including publications for policy makers, teachers and researchers; audio resources free to use for radio stations to counter COVID-19 disinformation; visuals for a social media campaign to counter disinformation on COVID-19 and this video with 10 points to detect disinformation.

Deciphering COVID-19 disinformation

Policy brief

COVID-19: the role of judicial operators in the protection and promotion of the right to freedom of expression

Guidelines for judicial operators, available in 8 languages.

Journalism, fake news & disinformation

Handbook for journalism education and training

Dissecting responses to COVID-19 disinformation

Policy brief

Managing the COVID-19 infodemic: Promoting healthy behaviours and mitigating the harm from misinformation and disinformation

Joint statement by WHO, UN, UNICEF, UNDP, UNESCO, UNAIDS, ITU, UN Global Pulse, and IFRC.

Resource Center of responses to COVID-19

Actions to support media, enhance access to information, and leverage digital technologies in the fight against the pandemic. Among other material, this includes a handbook on Journalism, fake news & disinformation, available in over 20 languages.

Combating the disinfodemic

Working for truth in the time of COVID-19. Access UNESCO resources to counter disinformation.

During this coronavirus pandemic, ‘fake news’ is putting lives at risk: UNESCO

UN press release.

Disinformation and the context of the health crisis

Answer the quiz.

Global partnership offers course on journalistic coverage of COVID-19 vaccine

United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas at the University of Texas at Austin, and the European Union.

UNESCO – WHO Audio Messages against COVID-19

UNESCO and WHO have joined forces to overcome at a local level the challenges face by media professionals to provide reliable health information and deconstruct myth on COVID-19 and related vaccines.

Journalism, fake news and disinformation

Campaign: Beware the COVID-19 Disinfodemic

Guy Berger – Tech for Good: The Role of ICT in Achieving the SDGs

Audrey Azoulay, Covering COVID-19 vaccines: What Journalists Need to Know (MOOC)