Why.

CONSPIRE answers the call from European institutions by offering an innovative training programme that equips individuals with the necessary tools to critically understand conspiracy discourse, challenges the spread of fake news, promotes critical thinking, civic engagement and democratic participation. The Project aims to prevent potential dangers associated with radicalisation and counteract forms of violent extremism arising from supporting conspiracy theories related to human health risks, since the contemporary international scenario lacks confidence in established scientific knowledge.

Conspiracy thinking has experienced rapid growth via social media (Boulianne and Lee 2022; Enders et al. 2021; Stecula and Pickup 2021), colonising the infosphere and significantly influencing sectors of public opinion, pushing them toward extremist ideologies, and impacting civic protest movements which have movements have led, and may continue to lead, to violent outcomes detrimental to social cohesion. Recent examples are the January 2021 attack on Capitol Hill and the“no vax” and “no mask” movements during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Conspiracy theories have introduced a range of perceived threats to well-being in the collective imaginary. These threats are not only related to the management of public health crises, but also involve the manipulation of natural resources, the use of digital technology and AI, control of media and information channels, and political, economic, and religious strategies allegedly orchestrated by hidden power elites. According to proponents of these ideas, power elites seek to exert influence over collective decisions in order to construct a totalitarian regime that exercises control over the population and limits individual freedom.

All of this has triggered a climate of fear and existential insecurity, exacerbating a culture of suspicion and mistrust towards international political and scientific institutions, as documented by the Special Eurobarometer Report European citizens’ knowledge and attitudes towards Science and Technology (2021). This is supported by a growing body of academic studies (Douglas and Sutton 2023; Halford 2023; Pannofino and Pellegrino 2021; Harambam 2023; Kuzelewska and Tomaszuk 2022; Pertwee et al. 2022). In 2021 Eurostat reported that 47% of individuals aged 16-74 in the EU claimed to have encountered false or dubious information on news websites or social media in the three months preceding the survey. In response to these concerns, the European Commission and UNESCO have compiled educational infographics designed to help citizens debunk and counter conspiracy theories. European institutions have recognised the public significance of this issue and the urgency of addressing the dangers that conspiracy theories can pose by potentially leading to extremist and violent reactions against ethnic groups or societal institutions through disinformation campaigns and the circulation of fake news.

CONSPIRE dialogues with the recent attention dedicated to the theme of conspiracy thinking and its associated risks from the EU. Academics, journalists and media specialists, next to students and the broader civic societies, are impacted by the diffusion of conspiracy thinking and necessitate the design of innovative methods, both in terms of conveying information and enhancing proficiency in data analysis. Our Project aims to respond to these needs.