View from Finland: Misinformation fight begins with education

Misinformation is a global issue – one that heavily impacts us here in the U.S. as false information about vaccines, voter fraud, and other conspiracies run rampant. Multiple studies have shown that Americans’ trust in the media and the government is at an all-time low. So how do we combat the phenomenon? Finland leads European nations in media literacy and resiliency against misinformation. Finland’s national strategy emphasizes media education and critical thinking starting in kindergarten – hoping to equip young students with skills to identify false information, bots, deepfake videos and manipulated images, as well as propaganda messaging, and half-truths. Jan. 22, 2023