Disinformation and the Role of Social Media Influencers in Times of Crises, Conflicts, and Wars

In today’s information environment, influencers and content creators on social media have become prominent opinion makers and agenda setters. They are no longer solely relevant in the communication and marketing strategies of companies but are also gaining importance in the political information ecosystem. As such, influencers and content creators share or post political content, make recommendations for whom to vote, or even act on behalf of political parties.

A year-long joint project led by the Aspen Institute Germany focused on a group of 20 influencers and content creators from Germany, Ukraine, Romania, the Baltics, and Central Europe. The aim was to provide a list of recommendations to relevant national and European institutions and other stakeholders. These selected politically engaged influencers tackled the challenges that disinformation presents in conflicts, crises, and wars. Participants worked together on recommendations which are presented to policymakers, social media platforms, and civil society organizations.

The key questions throughout the meetings were:

• How can the growing influence of influencers be leveraged for protecting democracy during conflicts and wars?
• What are their roles and responsibilities, and those of other stakeholders?
• What opportunities exist for cooperation among stakeholder groups to counter disinformation?

View the report below or download the PDF here.