“What I can say is specific to Bulgaria, is the amount of harassment we endure every time we fact check someone of the populist actors”, with journalists from her team “being constantly targeted by defamation campaigns”.

Little can this reality do, however, to discourage them from accomplishing their mission.

“All of them (journalists) understand the importance of their work in a time when facts become more and more devalued by the populists being a burden for groundless promises and accusations. These journalists are also highly committed to uphold the mission of journalism -namely to be an objective informant for society based on facts”.

Yet, fact-checking is not a one-time fix.

Hristova believes its strength lies in repetition and just as disinformation actors repeat their lies to reinforce them, fact-checkers must do the same with the truth. The fight is ongoing, and persistence is the only way forward.

But how viable is such a solution at a time when resources in the media are hard to secure?

Isabelle Wirth, AFP journalist and project manager for BROD and other EDMO Hubs, says it remains questionable.

“Maintaining the fact checking activity becomes a real challenge, especially in a crisis hit media environment with major platforms disengaging”, she claims, making specific reference to AFP’s CEO, according to whom “this work of general interest will be continued”.

“They want us to believe that Bulgaria was better off under the Soviet Union”

Several recurring disinformation topics dominate the Bulgarian media landscape, often blending geopolitical, social, and historical themes. Russian propaganda is a key driver, frequently used to spread anti-EU narratives and falsehoods about the war in Ukraine.

As noted by Maria Miteva from BNT, political fact checking is a constant.

“We prove whether some statements of our politicians are true. It’s quite difficult to keep the balance but I think we manage for the time being”.

For Kristina Hristova, there is a variety of disinformation issues that have emerged in Bulgaria, the most prevalent in 2024 being that of LGBTQ rights and “their implication in the educational system”.

She also mentions issues about the civil society, the Eurozone and the so-called “Green deal”, which is the set of policies aimed at making Europe the first climate-neutral continent by 2050, “with all its aspects”.

As for Bossev, the pro-Kremlin sentiment in Bulgaria is deeply rooted in what he calls a “socialist nostalgia narrative”, which plays “on the sentimental attachment to the past and is leveraged by presenting distorted or outright false claims about how well Bulgaria supposedly fared during the totalitarian era”.

“By idealizing the past”, he further explains, “this narrative also serves as a getaway for anti-EU and pro-Kremlin propaganda”, while “reinforcing the notion that Bulgaria was better off under Soviet influence than as part of the European Union”.

“People in Romania spread everything from political to health claims”

A quite fertile ground for misinformation actors to instill doubt is the sad realization of AFP journalist and fact checker for Romania, Paula Cabescu.

She describes a challenging environment for fact checkers that’s a combination of “public skepticism” and lack of “quick access to credible sources”.

According to her, journalists often turn to institutions to get help in accessing information, a process that’s getting better, however it can never outpace the speed with which false claims spread out.

This reality has dire consequences and results in them seeking help from international sources instead, “which is not the preferred way, but sometimes necessary”.

Cabescu explains that the distrust people have towards traditional media and fact checkers gets exploited by misinformation actors in Romania, who portray debunking efforts “as censorship or bias, which only further erodes trust”.

But who do these actors mainly go after?

Widespread distrust in institutions means that international entities such as the European Union or NATO get more easily targeted, she says. Additionally, “pro-Russian narratives are also prevalent, portraying the West as a threat to Romania’s sovereignty”.

“Disinformation actors try to convey that EU is making Romania lose its independence”

Bad actors can go as far as framing this as a potential danger even for the country’s independence, according to narratives developed by disinformation actors in the country, Cabescu points out.

Some say that Romanians should regain their independence and that the only way to achieve it is “by leaving all the alliances Romania has fought hard to join over the last 35 years”.

But that’s not the end of it.

Cabescu indicates another recurring tactic: the use of “alternative free media” or social media influencers who disguise themselves as “independent journalists”, and disinformation as “independent journalism, or exclusive information that only they have access to or that traditional media refuse to report on.

“In reality, these sources often promote a blend of half-truths and absolute falsehoods, which makes it harder for people to distinguish fact from fiction”.

On the flipside, this is a skill to be acquired both for professionals and for the public, and AFP plays a key role towards this direction.

“BROD project has a strong media literacy plan, in which AFP contributes: AFP fact checkers have helped Bulgarian and Romanian journalists to learn and improve their skills in digital investigation. BROD partners and coordinators were also very reactive to monitor and analyze disinformation campaigns around the Romanian presidential election, and the situation in neighbor country Moldova. This probably shows that such a consortium can provide strong results in a breaking news situation”, Wirth says.

“Criticism even when it’s unpleasant is still a sign that you’ve struck a chord”

Fact checkers won’t stop trying to restore truthfulness, taking a front seat in a very tight battle, and often with time running against them.

But what is it that keeps them motivated, even when it seems they fight against the odds?

“Knowing that what I do has a long-term impact”, says Cabescu, referring to people who reach out to them almost instantly with criticism, but often with apologies for spreading disinformation and promises to do better.

“It doesn’t happen often, but I promise it does”, she says characteristically, revealing that a thank you note can keep her motivated for months in this field, “while criticism, though not always pleasant, is still a sign that you’ve struck a chord”.

The real-world impact element of fact checking is critical also for Bossev who remembers a case that speaks volumes about the team’s ability to positively change people’s perception on an issue.

“One recent example involved a widely shared false claim, circulated in multiple languages including Bulgarian, that discouraged women from undergoing mammography screenings. The claim falsely suggested that the exams were dangerous and ineffective. AFP fact checked and debunked these assertions one by one, providing verifiable sources and expert input”.

It’s this kind of work that puts a smile on his face.

“Seeing our work make a difference whether by informing the public, preventing harm, or even making people think twice before sharing falsehoods, keeps me motivated”.

And sometimes it’s the small change that needs to be expected and the one that matters, regardless of how pointless a debunk might seem, says Maria Miteva.

“A lot of our fact checks reach quite a wide audience, but I don’t think they have changed the public opinion much. Still, people get used to fact checking, step by step, so I am sure there will be some change”.

Christos Gavalas is a Greek journalist, fact checking training consultant for EDMO and works for Athens Technology Center, a member of BROD.