Facts & Contexts Matter
Media literacy in East Asia & Europe

Civil society organizations in South Korea, Japan and Taiwan play a central role in protecting information integrity and strengthening democratic resilience. They use technological innovation, citizen participation, international cooperation and education. 

Digital platforms are central to news and public discussions, but they also spread fake news. This jeopardizes democracy and deepens social divisions. East Asian countries have taken measures against this, but these could restrict freedom of the press and freedom of expression.

Academic and educational professionals use manga to convey complex concepts, historical and cultural insights and to promote critical thinking and empathy. In East Asia, however, various political agendas are fighting for supremacy in the manga sector.

In the 1980s and 1990s, contemporary conspiracy theories in Japan were fueled by revolutionary theorists who combined Western theories with local radical ideologies. An overview of the most common conspiracy narratives.

In October of 2023, twelve East Asian and European experts met to discuss dealing effectively with misinformation and hate speech online. They also presented innovative solutions from their regions.

Societies negotiate their values and norms in controversies surrounding hate speech. Joachim Scharloth, Professor at Waseda University, talked about how hate speech manifests itself linguistically and situationally, how it is determined, and what potential the topic has in the classroom.