Russia – Amid a rapid increase of media censorship, particularly relating to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, international non-profit Reporters Without Borders has launched an initiative to cut through misinformation. The Truth Wins gives people access to censored articles and independent information by prominent journalists from Russia and Turkey by prompting people to type national lottery numbers into Twitter, in turn unlocking access to difficult-to-reach content.
By using these ever-changing numbers, the system moves faster than state censors, while also ensuring blockchain networks protect the archived content. Created with digital studio Hyperinteractive and ad agency DDB Germany, the project aims to raise awareness of the ongoing impact of government-mandated media. ‘More than ever, we need to fight for the right to seek and share information online,’ says Christian Mihr, executive director of Reporters Without Borders. ‘Civil society, governments and tech platforms all share responsibility for guaranteeing this right.’
While we’ve been tracking the rise of Veritas Media since 2017, the initiative shows the ongoing need for public-facing organisations to take greater responsibility for how global conflict is reported.
Strategic opportunity
Technology companies should take note of this project and similarly explore ways of supporting audiences who are at risk of being fed misinformation due to media censorship