Overview
On 21 October 2024, Advancing Civil Society - GLOCA organized a three-day dialogue seminar titled “Media Disinformation,” delivered by Mohammad Al Ali and facilitated by Hana Al Qatini. The activity brought together 178 participants and focused on strengthening media literacy, critical thinking, and responsible engagement with information shared through traditional media and digital platforms.

Purpose of the Seminar
The seminar aimed to build participants’ understanding of media disinformation, including its concepts, forms, objectives, and risks. It also focused on enabling participants to distinguish between fake news, misleading information, propaganda, and manipulated content, while recognizing the social, political, and cultural contexts in which disinformation is produced and circulated.

Main Discussion Themes

• The concept of media disinformation and its relationship to fake news and propaganda.

• The objectives of disinformation, including political influence, social division, agenda promotion, and economic gain.

• Types of disinformation, including visual, textual, digital, emotional, systematic, and random forms.

• Practical approaches to detecting misleading content before it spreads.

• Tools and techniques for verifying sources, images, videos, and online claims.

• Ethical journalism, responsible publishing, and the role of media in protecting social cohesion.

Key Outputs
Participants gained theoretical and practical knowledge of media disinformation and its impact on society. They analyzed real examples from media outlets and social media platforms and practiced using verification methods to assess the credibility of published content. The practical assignments helped participants move from passive reception of information toward active and critical engagement.

Key Learning and Impact
The seminar highlighted that combating disinformation requires more than technical tools; it requires critical awareness, ethical responsibility, and a commitment to verifying information before sharing it. Participants emphasized that responsible media practices can help reduce hate speech, prevent harmful narratives, and support peacebuilding and social cohesion.

Follow-up
Following the seminar, participants expressed interest in continuing collaboration through a WhatsApp group with the trainer to exchange updates, identify misleading content, and share verification practices. This reflected the potential of the seminar to support a youth-led digital initiative for responsible media monitoring.

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