GADMO: Together against disinformation - A year full of successes!

GADMO: Together against disinformation - A year full of successes!

GADMO is a key initiative in the fight against disinformation, active since its founding on November 1, 2022. This cooperation was initiated by the TU Dortmund was launched and brings together well-known partners such as the German Press Agency (dpa), Agence France Press (AFP), the Austria Press Agency (APA) and the independent research network Correctiv. It is the largest association of fact-checking teams and research in German-speaking countries and operates under the umbrella of the “European Digital Media Observatory” (EDMO), which extends across all 27 EU member states and Norway.

GADMO pursues several goals: The initiative wants to make fact checks more accessible to the public and collect them centrally. Disinformation campaigns are identified and scientifically examined. Another central aspect is the long-term promotion of media literacy in Germany and Austria. In this context, GADMO has built an online fact-check archive that includes around 3,300 articles and generates around 100 new fact checks every month, such as Federal Government reported.

Activities and achievements

GADMO was particularly active during the super election year of 2024 and analyzed how large platforms deal with politically motivated disinformation. For example, before the federal election, the initiative provided information about false reports with a weekly newsletter that reached around 4,000 subscribers. This shows GADMO's commitment to helping educate the public even in critical times.

An outstanding offer from GADMO is the video training courses, which are designed for various target groups in order to promote media literacy. In the future, the initiative plans to evaluate existing media literacy programs and develop new materials for teachers. GADMO has launched the fact-checking platform “Facts Against Fakes” since February 2023, which is considered the largest freely accessible archive of German-language fact checks.

Challenges and outlook

Despite the positive development, the GADMO team draws a mixed half-time balance. There are challenges, particularly with the discontinuation of Meta's fact-checking program in the US, that could impact disinformation efforts and strategies. Nevertheless, GADMO has left a significant footprint in the German-speaking media landscape and shows that the fight against misinformation also needs long-term support to be effective.

The initiative therefore remains a crucial player in the field of media safety and education, while continuing to pursue its goals and adapt to changing conditions in the digital space.