We have completed the first part of a series of discussion formats aimed at presenting socially important topics through the eyes of experts from UCM and external guests.

The event took place on Tuesday, March 12, at Malý Berlín, which, thanks to great guests and programming, filled its capacity. Sociologist Michal Vašečka, social media and disinformation expert Jakub Goda, and our colleague, fake news expert Miroslav Kapec, came to discuss disinformation in the context of Slovak society. The discussion was moderated by FMK UCM educator Branislav Oprala.

The discussion took place in a professional and very friendly atmosphere. The guests, along with the moderator, covered all aspects of spreading hoaxes and the trust in disinformation in Slovakia, from historical and sociological contexts to current issues of Russian propaganda and social media control. In the end, there was room for audience questions followed by informal discussion among the audience and participants over wine tasting, provided by students from the Institute of Management at UCM.

We would also like to invite you to another Evening University Vol. 2, which will take place on April 16 at 6:00 PM at Malý Berlín. The topic will be burnout syndrome, and psychologists from external environments have accepted invitations, as well as our colleague Dr. Ivana Mirdalíková from the Department of Psychology at the Faculty of Philosophy of UCM in Trnava.

6 most interesting thoughts from the discussion: Do Slovaks Love Disinformation?

1. In disinformation media, we rarely see investigative or reporting work. There is no added value in their content. (Jakub Goda)
2. Seeing a hidden agenda behind everything is simply a predisposition for some people. (Michal Vašečka)
3. Disinformation media don't aim to inform but only to persuade. (Miroslav Kapec)
4. In the EU, there is consensus that people should have freedom of speech, but there is no consensus for Russian bots to have it. (Jakub Goda)
5. Slovakia is a victim of a peculiar type of business focused on social media. It is a space where body shaming, hateful speech on a daily basis, which cannot be controlled, occurs. Social media were invented to produce money under any circumstances. (Michal Vašečka)
6. Slovaks love disinformation more than others, but I still see room for improvement. Not everything is as bad as it seems. (Miroslav Kapec)