Epistemic Violators: Disinformation in Central and Eastern Europe

Disinformation poses a significant challenge to epistemic rights globally, but the phenomenon manifests differently and is promoted by different actors in different countries and regions. The capture of legacy journalistic outlets and the creation of journalism-like sites without journalistic principles and ethics by commercial and political actors have resulted in the significant erosion of epistemic rights in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). Based on three mapping projects created by the Media and Journalism Research Centre, formerly the Centre for Media, Data and Society, at Central European University, this chapter showcases shifts in economic and political conditions of epistemic rights in CEE by focusing on entities that violate epistemic rights by deliberately promoting disinformation in the region.