The research, titled ‘Harassment of Fact-checking Media in Europe,’ shows that 9 out of 10 surveyed fact-checking organizations were exposed to smear campaigns, online harassment, and attacks by politicians and other public figures. Almost all European fact-checking organizations suffered attacks and smear campaigns by political actors and public figures aimed at questioning their credibility, often accusing them of censorship and infringement of freedom of speech. Initiatives, petitions, or legislative proposals that aimed to limit the work of fact-checking organizations were recorded in four countries, including Croatia. Most of these attacks take place online, primarily on social networks, with online media and websites being the second most common channels for these attacks. Read more here.
Source: IPI