In the field of communication, one of the most worrying debates on a global scale is that of online misinformation. Or what is the same, the proliferation of false information with a specific intent, the so-called fake news.

These news spread and become viral in a special way through platforms and social networks, and put at risk one of the fundamental rights of any democracy: the right to receive truthful information.

This debate does not only affect audiovisual, but has profound implications and affections in the political and electoral field, and, ultimately, in the democratic system.

This concern led the European Commission to launch the High Level Expert Group on Fake News and Online Disinformation (HLEG), with the aim of advising the Commission on what initiatives would be needed to counter false news. In addition, several countries have undertaken legislative initiatives to combat fake news, such as France and Germany.

In Catalonia, following the recommendations of the HLEG, several reports on online misinformation have been issued and some other have worked on another of the strategic lines drawn by the EC, the education in communication.

This conference, organized by the Catalan Audiovisual Council, with the collaboration of the Association of Journalists of Catalonia, aims to analyze the phenomenon of false news and misinformation, and reflect on the different strategies to tackle it. All this, with the participation of the various actors involved: journalists, media, fact checkers, European regulators and representatives of the HLEG of the European Commission.