We Can Win the War on Misinformation — Here’s How

A bold new strategy to reclaim the truth and reshape the information landscape.

Lies are spreading online like wildfire, threatening everything we hold dear — we need tools that match the scale of the threat.

Despite the tireless efforts of scientists, journalists, and fact-checkers around the world, lies and deception continue to outpace the truth. What we’re doing isn’t enough—and that should alarm us all.

But the other day, a new idea hit me. One that could change the game. A way to strengthen, scale, and supercharge the fight against misinformation like never before.

I’m asking you to take just a few minutes to consider the concept I’m about to share. I’ve done my best to make it as simple and concise as possible.

If it resonates, please help spread the word. The more people who see this, the greater the chance we have of turning it into real-world action.

Why you should care

For the second year in a row, the WEF Global Risks Report ranks both misinformation (false or inaccurate information) and disinformation (intentional misinformation) as the the number one short-term risk to humanity — even above extreme weather events, cyber attacks, and armed conflict.

If the topic is new to you and you don’t yet understand why false information poses such a massive threat to us — or why fighting it is one of the most urgent challenges of our time — feel free to read my brief introduction to the subject here.

It’s crucial to understand that, for several reasons, politicians will not save us. It is up to us—individuals and civil society organizations—to find a way forward.

The urgency is real, and the forces we’re up against are highly organized. That means we, too, must seek out the most efficient, innovative, and bold strategies. We need fresh thinking—something that can break through the noise and bring facts back into focus. Something that gives truth reach, resonance, and power.

Here’s my idea

What if we could fight misinformation not through isolated efforts, but with coordinated global action? Imagine a unified initiative bringing together forces from research, politics, and civil society — a true global collaboration. With that collective power, we could launch massive, targeted campaigns that make truth go viral.

To make this possible, we’d need a Global Hub—a lean, powerful platform that connects pro-democracy movements, fact-checkers, artists, influencers, journalists, and other concerned citizens around the world.

The Hub would coordinate global action days or weeks, during which all participants focus on one specific topic overwhelmed by false information—such as climate change, migration, vaccines, gender equality, elections, or tariffs.

At a set time on launch day, the participants would simultaneously publish and amplify the campaign’s message across social media, traditional media, events, and public spaces.

With viral content, clear and compelling language, and thousands of individuals and organizations acting in sync, we can break through the noise, spread truth at scale, and build a movement that outpaces the lies.

How would that work?

Member registration

The Global Hub operates a website where all interested participants can register. By signing up, they receive timely updates and materials to prepare for upcoming global action days.

During registration, participants can provide information about:

• Their communication reach (e.g., audience size, platforms they use).

• Any special skills or resources they can contribute (e.g., research, graphic design, video editing).

• Whether they’re willing to join specific working groups to help develop research, campaign materials, or other key elements.

What the Hub would prepare for each campaign

To make each campaign as effective and accessible as possible, the Global Hub would prepare a set of materials and resources, including:

1) A Landing Page

• A simple, highly convincing website presenting the essential facts about the chosen topic. Focused on extreme brevity, clarity, and neutrality — avoiding judgmental language and political bias.

• Only the most important, impactful, and factually correct information is included, made easy to understand for everyone.

• This page serves as the anchor document for the entire campaign — a central point all participants can link to in their posts and materials. (This also boosts search engine ranking by concentrating traffic and backlinks onto this page.)

• Should include a prominent disclaimer conveying the following message: This is an independent, non-profit initiative. False information is an existential threat to society—not a partisan matter. The fight for truth is about protecting democracy, public health, and our shared future.

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2) A ‘Further Resources’ Page

• Linked from the main article for those who want deeper understanding.

• Includes a carefully curated shortlist of the best and most effective materials:

  • A short and a longer video about the chosen topic.

  • A few selected high-quality articles for further reading.

• All resources are factually sound, compelling, and optimized for efficient communication.

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3) Shareable materials

A page with action-oriented, easy-to-use content designed to help participants spread the message:

• Shareables for social media (compelling visuals, infographics, short video clips)

• Templates and inspiration for creating original content (for artists, influencers, etc.)

• Guides for talking about the topic across different audiences (e.g., with friends, family, professional circles)

• Tips for using various communication channels effectively

Who will realize this idea?

As much as I wish I could lead this project, I don’t have the capacity to bring it to life on the scale it requires. What it needs is an experienced, well-connected organization—or a coalition of organizations—with the reach, credibility, and operational power to take the lead.

That’s why I’m calling on you to share this idea—both on social media and directly via email with people and organizations active in this field or well-positioned to help develop it.

To avoid duplicate efforts, organizations considering action are encouraged to briefly flag their interest in the comment section of this article. This will make it easier to coordinate, combine forces, and build something that’s truly global in scope.

Final remarks

In this article, I’ve provided only a rough outline of my concept. There are many additional ideas and refinements that could further develop and expand it. I’ll continue to write about these possibilities—and keep you updated if organizations begin to take this forward. Stay tuned!

The most important thing right now is simply to get it started. Let’s focus first on a minimum viable version: simple, smart processes that allow the right organizations to take the lead, with the right support behind them.

As Martin Luther King Jr. once said:

“Those who love peace must learn to organize as effectively as those who love war.”

The same holds true here. Those who care about truth must learn to organize as effectively as those who profit from deception.

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