Information can be the initial spark that enables people to act whether positively or negatively and even well intentioned communities can be misguided into harmful practices when provided with inaccurate information.

At Internews, an international non profit supporting independent media in 100+ countries, we’ve seen the dangerous effects of misinformation first hand.

In East Africa , for example, home to some of the world’s most important ecosystems and biodiversity, climate misinformation has spurred practices that increase fossil fuel use, further exacerbate deforestation and the release of greenhouse gases and result in inadequate preparation for extreme weather events, public health crises and increased water stress.

During the Opening Plenary of the 2023 Annual Philea Forum in Sibenik, the audience was asked the question ‘what are the top issues we face today?’. As answers flooded onto the big screen, I was encouraged to see that ‘Misinformation’ was once of the key responses featured. It shows that as a philanthropy sector we acknowledge or are at least aware of this issue. Yet it rarely features in the strategies and priority areas of European Foundations.

Good, trusted information is at the core of efforts to fight against misinformation. It saves lives, improves livelihoods, and holds the powerful to account. Citizens need it to make informed decisions about everyday practices from the food they eat to how they make a living and when faced with crisis. It is also important to build the resilience of communities by building their media literacy skills, making them less susceptible to misinformation. At Internews, we have been at the forefront of this battle for 40 years and we are heartened by the collective commitment to tackling this vital challenge.

However, there is still more to do. Philea is now host of the Journalism Funders Forum but it is time that the wider European philanthropy sector considers Journalism, Media and Information as part of the toolkit when working towards solving some of the world’s most pressing issues.

Ben Jenkins, Senior Private Sector Fundraiser, Internews