Program 2025

Leading in the Age of Misleading:

The role of Churches in countering Disinformation

1: "Security and freedom (of religion) on the boundary between East and West: Estonia’s experience"

Most Rev. Urmas Viilma, Archbishop of the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church

2: "The media landscape of Estonia and the role of the church there"  

Rev. Toomas Nigola, Assessor for Media Work of the EELC Consistory

3: "Countering disinformation: The experience of Propastop" 

NGO Propastop: propastop.org

4: It Doesn't Matter If It's Not True: The Power of Stories in an Age of Disinformation

Inga Springe

Keynote: 
During a U.S. presidential primary, Republican candidates spread a story that Haitian immigrants were eating American pets. The narrative continued to gain traction even after local police declared it false, simply because it reinforced what some voters already believed about migrants.
This illustrates a modern reality: audiences are more interested in powerful stories than in facts, and every community has narratives it wants to believe. In this presentation, investigative journalist Inga Spriņģe will explore the latest disinformation trends in the Baltics. She will use specific examples—from local populists to Russian propaganda—to reveal which narratives are being pushed and, most importantly, explain the psychology behind why they are so effective.

Inga Spriņģe is an award-winning investigative journalist and co-founder of The Baltic Center for Investigative Journalism Re:Baltica. She focuses on disinformation, Russia's influence, and social inequality. Springe previously worked at Latvia's leading newspaper, Diena, and Latvian Public broadcaster, and is a member of two global investigative journalism networks: the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists and OCCRP.

5: When official stories mislead: Digital activism and the battle for truth in the Church

 Matthew Batten,  Director of Communication, Church in Wales, UK

Keynote:

Disinformation is not only the work of hostile actors Iit can emerge from within trusted institutions. The Church of England’s response to the Makin Review into abuse by John Smyth QC offers a striking example. Through selective framing, delayed disclosure, and strategic silence, official communications created a distorted picture that survivors, bloggers, and clergy challenged online. Drawing on my MA research into religious authority in digital culture, I introduce the category of “religious digital activists” - insiders and outsiders who combine theological engagement with strategic online advocacy to counter misleading institutional narratives. Using the old power vs new power framework, I analyse how closed, hierarchical communication fuels misinformation, and how digital activism reshapes authority. Attendees will gain practical strategies for dismantling misleading narratives, engaging transparently, and building trust as churches seek to be credible witnesses to truth in an age of disinformation.