Bookstore chain Cărturești combats disinformation with fact-checking campaign
Cărturești, the bookstore chain with a significant presence in the Romanian cultural landscape, is launching “The Book Fact Checker” campaign (https://carturesti.ro/bookfactchecker), a civic initiative designed to encourage critical thinking and remind the public of the importance of credible sources of information.
Through this campaign, Cărturești proposes reading as an essential tool for navigating the avalanche of information surrounding us. Books not only offer answers but also context, analysis, and editorially validated perspectives, helping us better understand the world we live in.
The Fake News Phenomenon – A Global Threat
According to a recent Eurobarometer study*, online disinformation represents a major threat to society, identified as the most serious problem by 38% of EU citizens. Over a third of Europeans (35%) state that they have been exposed to fake news in the past week, especially on social media (64%), and the majority (52%) believe that online platforms should do more to combat the spread of false information, while also encouraging users to become more skilled at distinguishing correct information from erroneous information (39%).
In Romania, the phenomenon is acutely felt, with an INSCOP survey** revealing that over 70% of Romanians consider themselves exposed to fake news, and over 48% believe that many important things happen in the world that ordinary people are never informed about.
“We live in a world where information reaches us in record time, but often without the complete context to understand the big picture. When everything becomes vague, we ask ourselves, what is reality, actually? Books offer us the answer. They present the facts, place them in the correct timeline, give you a deep understanding of the world, and a more concrete documentation of reality,” says Adrian Păun, Head of Marketing at Cărturești.
“The Book Fact Checker” – A Necessary Intervention:
In a socio-political context marked by elections and a constant flow of contradictory information, Cărturești reaffirms its mission to expose the public to ideas, diverse perspectives, and readings that engage critical thinking. “The Book Fact Checker” is not a response to disinformation in the strict sense, but an invitation to discover better-documented sources and cultivate discernment through reading. The campaign aims to show that, before accepting information as true, it is worth putting it into perspective – and books are an essential tool in this process.
“We will listen more than we react, and non-fiction books will be our only weapon,” adds Adrian Păun, Head of Marketing at Cărturești, emphasizing the non-partisan approach and the focus on the power of correct information.
How “The Book Fact Checker” Works:
The campaign focuses on 7 current topics, often the subject of disinformation: climate change, medicine, psychology, history, geography, technology, and economics.
Identifying Fake News: A team of communication professionals conducted research on social media and identified fake news or distorted information related to the 7 topics.
Fact-Checking Banners and Redirection to Books: Online banners suggest readings that address the subject of these fake news stories, and users are redirected to a relevant book from the Cărturești collection, where they can find the correct information, presented in an in-depth and verified context.
Dedicated Landing Page: All banners lead to a landing page created specifically for the campaign, where the collection of Cărturești non-fiction books, relevant to the 7 topics, will be available at a reduced price. (https://carturesti.ro/bookfactchecker )
“The Civic Shelf” at Cărturești
The “The Book Fact Checker” campaign also reinforces the “Civic Shelf” initiative, a concept promoted by Cărturești in its bookstores, which emphasizes books that contribute to a deeper understanding of social issues and active civic engagement.