At the “5th Global Summit on Disinformation”, “V Cumbre Global sobre Desinformación”, Ramón Salaverría delivered a presentation titled “From Correcting to Explaining”, where he outlined two main approaches developed to combat disinformation, their limitations, and the emerging trends in the field. The IBERIFIER coordinator spoke on the second day of the summit, held on September 18.
According to Salaverría, one approach is reactive, based on verification, while the other is proactive, focusing on fostering resilience among citizens themselves. The professor acknowledged the shortcomings of the reactive model: corrections rarely reach the same audience as false information, and confirmation bias often makes it harder to restore fact-based narratives.
This is why, he argued, the anticipatory approach has been gaining ground. It places the emphasis on civic empowerment, equipping people with critical skills to recognize and handle falsehoods. In this shift, fact-checkers are also assuming a new role. We are witnessing an evolution, Salaverría noted, as fact-checkers increasingly move from simply debunking claims to proactively explaining complex issues and providing context.
You can watch his presentation at this link, starting around the 13-minute mark.
