The observatory Iberifiercoordinated by the School of Communication of the University of Navarra, has presented the results of three years of research on digital media and disinformation in Spain and Portugal. Formed by more than 70 researchers and journalists from twenty organizations, the observatory has verified thousands of hoaxes, has promoted dozens of training activities and has investigated the phenomenon and trends of disinformation. 

The consortium is part of the network of digital media and disinformation observatories promoted by the European Commission. The presentation took place at the headquarters of the association de la Prensa de Madrid, with the presence of representatives of the participating institutions and the European Commission.

After completing the first three-year period, the European Commission has announced the continuation of the consortium for another three years, until 2026, with additional funding of 1.27 million euros. In this second stage, again under the coordination of the University of Navarra, the consortium is expanding its issue partners to 25, adding new verification agencies and reinforcing its technological research capabilities. One of the objectives of this new stage is to extend the analysis of disinformation phenomena to all Spanish and Portuguese-speaking countries. 

Since 2021, Iberifier has focused mainly on three objectives: researching, monitoring and verifying disinformation. Ramón Salaverría, Full Professor of Journalism at the University of Navarra and coordinator of project, has highlighted that "the core topic of the success of this project has been the partnership: in Iberifier we participate public and private institutions, universities and media and, of course, we collaborate researchers from two countries united by similar concerns".  

Paula Gori, coordinator of the European Digital Media Observatory (EDMO), stated that "what makes EDMO unique is the fact that it has a common European platform and multidisciplinary that connects with national centers in all member states". Furthermore, he stated that "disinformation has no borders and is a global phenomenon, but the local element plays a role core topic and cannot be neglected". Iberifier is part of the set of European observatories belonging to EDMO. "All centers, including Iberifier, do an impressive work in implementing initiatives to understand and address misinformation on the ground. Their work is core topic both for the local support they provide and for the possibility to collaborate and compare with other national realities," he added.

In its first stage since 2021, the Iberifier observatory has focused on five lines of work: the research of characteristics and trends of the Iberian digital media ecosystem; the development of computational technologies for the early detection of disinformation; the verification of disinformation in the Iberian territory and its subsequent reporting to the European Commission; the preparation of strategic reports on disinformation threats, and media literacy activities. Precisely, awareness-raising and training of citizens regarding disinformation is one of the areas that the observatory intends to promote from 2024 onwards.

With more than a dozen reports and best practice guides, the Iberifier team has analyzed the phenomenon of disinformation from numerous perspectives. Some of them are the patterns of disinformation consumption in Iberian society, the impact of hoaxes on social, political and economic aspects in Spain or Portugal, or the technological tools that facilitate the detection of hoaxes and the verification of information. All this, in addition, accompanied by an exhaustive mapping of the Spanish and Portuguese digital media that constitutes the first digital tool of these characteristics in the world. 

Consortium

At this stage, Iberifier has been formed by 23 institutions in Spain and Portugal: twelve universities, five verification agencies and six centers of research multidisciplinary . In the new phase of the consortium, the Spanish digital native media Newtral, as well as the Instituto Politécnico de Viseu and the laboratory de Instrumentación y Física Experimental de Partículas (LIP) of Portugal are joining the consortium.