Superscrieri brings together experts from the Pulitzer Centre, The Kyiv Independent, Ziarul de Gardă and Macromedia University Berlin in a workshop for Romanian journalists – the specialists come from Malaysia, Ukraine, Moldova, and Germany
- The Takeover Disinfo event is structured in three parts: a panel discussion, a masterclass, and a workshop.
- The discussions will be moderated by journalist Codruța Simina, author of the Misreport newsletter, and Dragoș Stanca, founder of the Ethical Media Alliance;
- The event is part of the Superscrieri Workshops series, supported by ING Bank, a program of workshops dedicated to the professional development and specialisation of journalists.
Bucharest, October 31, 2025: The Friends For Friends Foundation, organiser of the Superscrieri Awards Gala, an initiative that annually rewards the best journalism in Romania, and ING Bank Romania, are organising the Takeover Disinfo event on November 5, dedicated to journalists interested in understanding and combating the phenomenon of disinformation.
Guests include journalists and media experts from Southeast Asia and Europe, who will share perspectives and practical tools for journalism that is more resilient to information manipulation:
-Martin Fornusek, senior editor at The Kyiv Independent (Ukraine)
-Kuek Ser Kuang Keng, Malaysian journalist, data editor at the Pulitzer Center, and founder of Data-N
-Gernot Wolfram, professor of media and cultural management at Macromedia University Berlin
-Alina Radu, investigative journalist and manager of the publication Ziarul de Gardă (Republic of Moldova)
Takeover Disinfo takes place at Point Hub in Bucharest and is structured in three sessions: a panel discussion (10:00-12:00), a masterclass (12:30-14:00), and a workshop (15:00-16:30). Participation is free of charge, and registration is done here by November 5th. The workshop has a limited number of 20 places available, and all sessions will be held in English.
“Last year’s presidential elections highlighted, more than ever, the dangers of disinformation. Journalists in Romania now have the opportunity to specialise alongside colleagues from abroad, to gain an in-depth understanding of how disinformation mechanisms are formed and how they can be combated, but also to build international connections that can lead to cross-border journalism projects,” said Alexandra Cantor, executive director of the Friends For Friends Foundation.
The panel on “The cultural context and the construction of disinformation narratives” will explore how the cultural context favors the emergence of disinformation and how different narratives are constructed and perpetuated in the media and social spaces. The discussion will be moderated by Codruța Simina, journalist and author of the Misreport newsletter, and will feature guests Alina Radu, investigative journalist and manager of Ziarul de Gardă, Martin Fornusek, senior editor of The Kyiv Independent, and Gernot Wolfram, professor at Macromedia University Berlin.
The masterclass entitled “TakeOver Disinfo in the Big Tech Era” will be dedicated to analyzing how new technologies and digital platforms contribute to the spread and combating of disinformation. It will be led by journalist Kuek Ser Kuang Keng, data editor at the Pulitzer Center and founder of Data-N. The discussion will be moderated by Dragoș Stanca, founder of the Ethical Media Alliance.
The workshop, led by Gernot Wolfram, professor of media and cultural management at Macromedia University Berlin, will focus on “Fictionalized Politics” and will address how new actors in the public sphere are changing our perception of reality.
“I am concerned about how the boundaries between reality and political fiction are becoming increasingly blurred. The Albanian government announces an AI minister, and Donald Trump claims, despite all the evidence, that climate change is a joke. Public perception is increasingly shifting into a hybrid space, between truth and spectacle. Journalists must learn to navigate these fictionalized worlds. In this workshop, we will explore how new media spaces can once again become places of trust and critical thinking,” said Gernot Wolfram, professor of media and cultural management at Macromedia University Berlin.
The event is part of the Superscrieri Workshops series, supported by ING Bank, a program of workshops dedicated to the professional development and specialisation of journalists. Takeover Disinfo is aimed at both experienced journalists and the new generation of journalists, as well as those in organisations fighting disinformation, in a context where this phenomenon has become a major emergency issue with a direct impact on society.
“The press remains one of the essential pillars of a functional democracy. Its quality determines the quality of the information we receive, the decisions we make, and ultimately, the society we live in. At ING Bank, we take responsibility for supporting a healthier and stronger press that brings relevant topics, necessary debates, and accurate information to the public. The Takeover Disinfo event addresses an increasingly prevalent phenomenon, visible at every moment of major importance, from elections to social crises or tragic events. It is essential that journalists are equipped with the right tools to understand in depth how false narratives are formed and how they can be combated, and we are here to provide them with this support. Our partnership with the Friends For Friends Foundation is a new brick in a larger construction, through which we support educational initiatives, relevant products, and collaborations that have a real and measurable impact on the lives of Romanian citizens,” said Silvia Jalea, Head of Internal & External Corporate Communication, ING Bank Romania.
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About ING Bank Romania
ING Bank Romania is part of ING Group, a global international financial institution that provides banking services to over 38 million individual customers, companies, and institutions in more than 40 countries. Founded in 1994, ING Bank Romania is currently a universal bank offering products and services to all customer categories – large and small companies, financial institutions, small entrepreneurs, and individuals. ING Bank Romania is the only bank with organic growth in the top 10 local banks by assets, without acquisitions of customer portfolios or other banks. ING Bank Romania is a universal bank with over 1.7 million customers in three business segments: individuals (retail), SMEs & Mid-Corporate, and Wholesale Banking. ING’s mission is to support people in being one step ahead in life and business.
About Superscrieri, the Friends For Friends Foundation (FFFF.RO) program
Superscrieri is the tribute we have been paying since 2011 to authors who, through the power of their writing, originality, honesty, and courage, still tell us the stories that matter. Authors who believe in the power of well-chosen words show us how things really are, free us from prejudice and stereotypes, move us, enrich us, and protect us from fake news. We gratefully dedicate the Superscrieri awards, scholarships, and seminars to them.
