Novi Sad School of Journalism - Sound of Facts: Demystifying Disinformation Podcast
The project “Sound of Facts: Demystifying Disinformation”, implemented by the Novi Sad School of Journalism and funded by the European Union, introduced an innovative radio format for fact-checking. Traditionally written content was transformed into interactive radio episodes specifically designed to engage a younger audience.
The FakeNews team addressed key issues such as media literacy, disinformation, and fake news through 18 thematic radio episodes and analytical articles, published in a dialog format on Oradio (Radio and Television of Vojvodina - RTV).
The first episode the FakeNews podcast explores the boundary between science and pseudoscience through the story of horoscopes. Horoscopes seem harmless and fun, yet they subtly build trust in the surreal, which can easily spill over into other areas of life. If your washing machine breaks down and your phone crashes, maybe it’s not the manufacturer or the device’s age —maybe it’s simply Mercury in retrograde. But what exactly is Mercury in retrograde?
In the second episode of the FakeNews podcast, we hop on a train with Umberto Eco and investigate disinformation about migration: from an invented cult to a botanical garden declared a mosque. You’ll discover how Google Translate works when translating from Punjabi to Serbian, and how enriching a conversation can be—even through nonverbal communication.
In the third episode of the FakeNews podcast, we dive into visual AI manipulations and test how a grandmother and her granddaughter fare in recognizing AI-generated photos. You’ll learn how one photographer built a fake Instagram portfolio based on images from non-existent weddings, as well as what the dark side of deepfake technology looks like—focused on pornography.
The fourth episode of the FakeNews podcast, dedicated to voice cloning, reveals how Homer Simpson learned to sing Neda Ukraden, and how a stolen voice can be misused in media, politics, and security. In addition, Professor Nenad Kuzmanović, a sound design expert, shares tricks to help us identify whether the voice we hear is authentic or digitally created.
Did Marie Antoinette really recommend cake to those without bread? And did Branko Radičević write the verse “From cradle to grave / school days are the best”? In the fifth episode of the FakeNews podcast, we tackle authenticity of quotes and uncover how fake quotes are created and persist—sometimes with dangerous consequences.
The sixth episode of the FakeNews podcast follows three cases of plagiarism: in journalism, science, and literature. In the first story, you’ll learn about the method of writing columns by patchwork. The second case shows how even a tiny punctuation mark can help expose fraud, and finally, we talk to an author who realized—by chance, while listening to the radio—that her poetry had been stolen.
In the seventh episode of the FakeNews podcast, we focus on numbers and accuracy: from the 100-meter race, to the number of people who can fit in a square, and all the way to public debt. Our guests, Dubravka Valić Nedeljković and Teodora Ćurčić, discuss techniques for presenting large numbers in a more accessible way. Additionally, there is a fun thought experiment for our listeners.
Have you heard of the “Bosnian bear” that allegedly crushed an army on Manjača? Or about the mosquitoes in Veliki Radinci that were mistakenly sprayed with insect food instead of insecticide? Or the Serbs in Melbourne who, out of protest, grilled kangaroos over charcoal? These are satirical news stories that many people believed—and that’s exactly what we talk about in the eighth episode of the FakeNews podcast. You’ll also get a chance to play the quiz “Find the intruder,” which will show you how hard it can be to distinguish satire from reality.
In the ninth episode of the FakeNews podcast, we take you inside a creepy Victorian house. After Mrs. H. moved in with her family in 1912, a series of ghostly events began, leaving the household barely able to recover. But before they could escape, they had to uncover the cause of the problem. We’ll learn how the family managed to save themselves and how we can do the same thanks to scepticism.
In the tenth episode of the FakeNews podcast, we try to get to the truth serum—about vaccines. We discuss a notorious study that opened Pandora’s box and scared many people, even though it falls apart under any scrutiny. We’ll also find out whether sunglasses can cause fires and whether ice cream attracts jellyfish.
In the 11th episodeof the FakeNews podcast, we talk about HAARP and chemtrails. We explore how social media helps spread conspiracy theories and what problems the “IKEA-ization of society” creates. You’ll get a very practical tip on how to convince a chemtrail believer they’re wrong—using nothing more than a laundry spray bottle.
In the 12th episode of the FakeNews podcast, we tackle news that seem simply too good to be true: from fraudulent banking schemes like Dafiment Bank to houses in Italy that cost one Euro. We investigate whether Serbia is the least indebted country in Europe, whether it ranks among the world leaders in science investment, and whether Serbs are among the most intelligent nations. Plus, you’ll find out how reading foreign newspapers with a tiger print can turn into an eye exam.
In the 13th (some would say unlucky) episode of the FakeNews podcast, we talk about bad news and risk—but with the aim of showing that things aren’t always as bleak as they seem. We uncover what the “mean world syndrome” is, take a trip to Kenya, and share the story of a man who beat the odds twice: he found himself in situations that few people experience, and then he survived what few people survive.
The episode dedicated to climate change opens with two introductions: choose the one you prefer—or the one you trust more. We reveal how Milutin Milanković was misused by climate change deniers and consider the question: “What if we stopped pretending?”
In the 15th episode of the FakeNews podcast, we stalk a suspicious person. You’ll hear the story of a great philanthropist and businessman, and your task is to spot all the red flags about his education and career. In this quest, you will have the help of a professional fake identity hunter, who has warned the public about the homemade biographies of Saša Sredanović and Petar Puača.
In the 16th episode of the FakeNews podcast, we discuss how lies about women are spread: about their health, bodies, intelligence, abilities, and achievements. We’ll examine a so-called “funny” online driving school, question whether women are really worse drivers, and explore how misogyny is transmitted through seemingly humorous content.
In the 17th episode of the FakeNews podcast, we search for answers lost in the mists of the past. Did the Orient Express really run late only once in its history—and was it because of Milunka Savić? Does the entrance to the Red Cross building in Geneva bear a sign saying “Be as humane as Serbia once was,” and does the UN building display a photo of Stjepan Filipović? We proverbially describe history as “the teacher of life,” but what happens when the teacher writes something wrong on the board?
In the final episode of the FakeNews podcast, we talk with the Tragačev/Tracker team—Teodora, Ivan, and Stefan. To wrap up the series, we'll talk about news that seems fake but is actually true, about unanswered questions, as well as the professional deformations that fact-checkers face. Thank you for listening ❤
Funded by the European Union, the Innovation. Media. Minds.: Support to the Public Service Journalism in the Western Balkans Program, is managed by the Goethe-Institut on behalf of the European Commission and in collaboration with its implementing partner DW Akademie.
