Sofia, July 12, 2026 (Lusa) - The Hungarian journalist and fact-checker Zsófia Fülöp said in an interview with Lusa that combining fact-checking with media literacy can be a powerful tool for combating disinformation.

“I believe that fact-checking is a very powerful tool for combating disinformation, but fact-checking alone is most effective when combined with other strategies,” said Zsófia Fülöp, a journalist and fact-checker at Lakmusz, which specialises in fact-checking, and a member of the Hungarian Digital Media Observatory.

“I think that if we combine it with media literacy, it could become even more powerful, as media literacy allows us to reach more people,” she added as one of the speakers at the Connecting EU seminar, organised by the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), which took place in Sofia.

“We journalists tend to live in a bubble, and media organisations are generally based in major cities,” she pointed out.

“I believe it is essential to talk to people to understand what their problems are and how they consume news, as well as to look for ways to collaborate with them to better understand their needs and how disinformation spreads, whether in rural areas or amongst older people, who benefit from clear, evidence-based information,” she added.

In summary, Zsófia Fülöp argues that combining “fact-checking with media literacy training and workshops, particularly aimed at vulnerable groups, such as older people or those with lower levels of education and limited access to different types of news and sources, can be a truly powerful tool”.

Lusa spoke to the journalist on the sidelines of the EESC seminar, which took place on 6 and 7 July at the University of Sofia under the theme “In defence of European values: the power of civil society”.

*** Lusa travelled at the invitation of the European Economic and Social Committee *** ALU/ADB // ADB.

Lusa