The internet has created new opportunities for the media, but it has also made it easier to deliberately spread fabricated news stories to fool readers. Parliament President Antonio Tajani called attention to the issue in a statement: “When we consider press freedom, we also have to look at the internet. It is a source of knowledge as much as it is a source of concern. Almost half of all Europeans get their news from social media. This has made spreading fake news far too easy. There are mounting concerns over disinformation and hate speech, used to promote radicalisation and fundamentalism, particularly among young people.”

During the debate on 4 May, members of the human rights subcommittee are to discuss the World Press Freedom index compiled by Reporters without Borders as well the European Endowment for Democracy (EED) activities in the field of media freedom and how the EU is reacting to disinformation and fake news.







