Political scientist PhD Hristo Panchugov and reporter and editor at BNT’s “Panorama,” Petar Georgiev, spoke to students and faculty at Shumen University on the topic “Disinformation – The Truth About Lies.” The educational event was organized by the Bulgarian School of Politics and the “Educational Horizons” Foundation as part of the initiative “3D – Digitalization, Disinformation, Democracy.”
In front of the packed hall 309 of the Rectorate at Shumen University, Panchugov emphasized the importance of understanding disinformation and highlighted that the modern disinformation network is a complex structure built around specific narratives and tools designed to influence public attitudes and shape public opinion. Journalist Petar Georgiev, using personal examples, illustrated how easily a fake news story can be created and spread. He noted that both journalists and ordinary citizens face challenges in navigating the flow of information. Nevertheless, there are tools that can help identify disinformation, although this process is becoming increasingly difficult.
Following the discussion, the exhibition “Draw Fake News” was opened in Building 1 of Shumen University. Twenty-two young artists from the university expressed the theme of disinformation through art. In 25 impactful works, students from the “Pedagogy of Visual Arts” program at Shumen University showed what fake news looks like – a distorted reality, manipulation, and visual traps that surround us daily.
The initiative “3D – Digitalization, Disinformation, Democracy” is developed by Bulgarian School of Politics “Dimitry Panitza” and is implemented in partnership with „Educational Horizons“ Foundation – Shumen, with the support of the European Union and the Workshop for Civic Initiatives Foundation.