About this session
Disinformation targeted against minorities and migrants poses particular challenges and risks, not only because of its potential overlap with illegal categories of speech including hate speech, but also for its potential to incite discrimination and at times real world violence. Just like disinformation itself, disinformation about minorities and migrants is a very old problem, which acquires new dimensions in the current digital environment.
The first module of EDMO’s training series on identity-based disinformation aims to provide an overview of some of the main trends, narratives and techniques used by disinformation actors and networks when targeting minorities and migrants across Europe.
After an initial overview of the potential overlap between disinformation and hate speech from a legal perspective, the training will dive into recent case studies from across Europe. Given the regional and national specificities of identity-based disinformation targeting specific groups, the training aims to deepen our understanding of its different manifestations, which can in turn help us shape appropriate responses. Different country case studies will illustrate its use by national and foreign actors, through different narratives, techniques and aims, including the amplification of disinformation for political gains also in the context of elections.
The training will conclude with a focus on strategic communications as a possible response to counter disinformation and reframe the migration debate. The session will share practical lessons from developing value-driven campaigns and messaging that balances facts with values to help shift narratives in polarised debates on migration.
Meet your Trainers
Lisa Ginsborg is responsible for training and research at EDMO, as a Research Fellow at the EUI School of Transnational Governance. She also teaches International Human Rights at NYU Florence. She has previously worked in a number of research and teaching positions and for international human rights organizations. Her research interests in the field of international human rights law, include digital technologies and disinformation policy. She recently co-edited a book on “Disinformation: a Multistakeholder Analysis” (Springer 2026).
Katarína is a Research Lead of the Centre for Democracy & Resilience at the GLOBSEC Policy Institute, an international think tank based in Bratislava. Since 2016 she has led research on information operations and hybrid threats, and capacity-building projects focusing on societal resilience, vulnerabilities of public administration, and strategic communication. In her previous capacities, she worked for Transparency International Slovakia and the European Commission. Holds an MA in Political Science with Specialization in Research Methodology and Social Analysis from the Central European University in Budapest, Hungary and an MA in European Studies from Comenius University in Bratislava.
José Moreno is a researcher within MediaLab CIES Iscte, a research center at Iscte-IUL university, in Lisbon, Portugal, focusing on the societal impact of digital information and comunication technologies. Since 2019, his main focus has been the impact of disinformation on the political landscape, especially during electoral cycles.
Eóin Young is Co-founder and Director of the International Centre for Policy Advocacy (ICPA). With 25+ years’ experience, he supports partners across the EU and Eastern Europe/Central Asia to strengthen policy research, advocacy and strategic communications to promote open society values. He leads ICPA’s policy capacity development and narrative change work, and is co-author of key resources including “Making Research Evidence Matter” and the “Reframing Migration Narratives Toolkit”.
Target group: Stakeholders in the counter disinformation community, journalists and fact‑checkers; digital policy and civic tech practitioners; researchers; civil society organisations; media literacy educators and trainers.
What you will learn in this training session:
- Deepen understanding of the current disinformation narratives, techniques, tactics, actors and networks targeting minorities and migrants across Europe,
- Gain practical insights from practical lessons from developing value-driven campaigns and messaging that engage the “movable middle” and help shift narratives in polarised debates on migration
Deadline
Register here by 11 May 2026, at 11:00 CEST.