Contested Truth vs. Industrial - Scale Fakery a Course on Disinformation Debunking

Do you want to learn basics of practice and theory behind fake news debunking? Then choose the course held by black-belt journos and leading academics of the field from Budapest. The faculty of the course has been awarded by a grant from the European Union in 2021 to develop a fact checking project and a disinformation debunking site. Learn from young journalists about the nuts and bolts of professional expertise, skills, mindsets and technologies behind fact checking and follow the theoretical courses of the university team to contextualize contemporary contested media phenomena in currents developments of media studies. The course covers professional and legal basics of the digital ecosystem of truth telling, and provides a detailed analysis of textual ramifications of telling truth or lies, let them be images, sounds or written texts. The course is concluded by six at-hand seminars by professional journalists from 444.hu, one of Hungary’s leading independent news site focusing on various professional and technical aspects of interrogating facts, images and stories. These sessions give you opportunities to try yourself as a fact checker!

Course leader

ELTE Department of Media and Communication

Target group

The course is open to all who are interested in media studies.

Course aim

Learn from young journalists about the nuts and bolts of professional expertise, skills, mindsets and technologies behind fact checking and follow the theoretical courses of the university team to contextualize contemporary contested media phenomena in currents developments of media studies.

Credits info

2 EC
Our courses offer ECTS points, which may be accepted for credit transfer by the participants' home universities. Those who wish to obtain these credits should inquire about the possible transfer at their home institution prior to their enrollment. The International Strategy Office will send a transcript to those who have fulfilled all the necessary course requirements and request one.

Fee info

EUR 470: The course fee - that includes tuition fee, accommodation (student residence halls with shared rooms 2-3/ room), meals (breakfast and lunch for each day), local transport and the cost of the leisure time programs - is 470 EUR