A group of journalists and activists created ‘Verify This,’ a platform where users can find reliable information

Originally published on Global Voices

Screenshot of the Verify This website ‘iVerify’, Armenia. Fair use.

This interview is part of a series of spotlights on the work of some of the grantees of the Digital Spark granting scheme, as part of the Regional Support Mechanism EECA project, implemented by the Metamorphosis Foundation and TechSoup, in partnership with CIVICUS and under the Digital Democracy Initiative (DDI) that covers the Global South. It is being published on Global Voices as part of a content-sharing agreement.

Armenia is a small, landlocked country that has, for years, relied on Russian support in its long-term conflict with the neighboring oil-rich and authoritarian country, Azerbaijan. However, Armenia received a blow from Russia in 2022–2023, when it was not supported by Russian military forces during its conflict over the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

In September 2023, Azerbaijan launched a large-scale military offensive, expelled the entire Armenian population from Nagorno-Karabakh, dissolved the government of the region, and incorporated the territory into Azerbaijan.

After this incident, when Russia did not support Armenia with its peacekeeping troops, likely because Vladimir Putin was already engaged in a full-scale invasion and war with Ukraine, Armenia visibly changed its attitude toward Russia.

Armenian Prime Minister ​Nikol Pashinyan started to work in earnest towards the goal of European Union ⁠membership for his South Caucasus country and increased diplomatic communication with the US.

He was re-elected on June 7, 2026. The election took place amid reports of Russian interference. Reuters, citing anonymous Western intelligence officials and documents, reported covert Russian efforts to undermine Pashinyan and support pro-Russian candidates, including through disinformation campaigns.

These elections showed how information warfare has expanded beyond social media. It now included fake news websites, AI-generated videos and material presented as reporting by reputable international media outlets.

According to the US-based disinformation monitoring organization NewsGuard, a Russia-linked campaign circulated 31 fabricated stories about Pashinyan in just one week. The stories accused him of election fraud and of trying to drag Armenia into a war with Russia.

Some of this material imitated international media outlets such as France 24 and Politico. Other stories impersonated Armenian news outlets, including Armenpress and CivilNet.

With the proliferation of generative AI, disinformation and propaganda campaigns have become increasingly sophisticated. Armenia’s experience shows how these campaigns operate in a country moving away from its longstanding reliance on Russia. At the same time, Armenian journalists and civil society are working hard to build media literacy to counter disinformation campaigns. This Digital Spark Spotlight interview is about one of these projects — “Verify This,” a platform where users can find reliable information.

Global Voices interviewed Armin Asryan, a member of the group of journalists, editors, and activists behind the media literacy project “Verify This,” which tackles Russian information manipulation and propaganda.

Global Voices (GV): Please tell us about your organization and why you chose to get involved with the Digital Spark project.

Armin Asryan (AA): We are a group of enthusiasts, operating through the ‘Socio Club’ — Social and Information NGO — and dedicated to driving positive change in Armenia’s information landscape.

We chose to get involved with the Digital Spark project because we were thrilled to see an opportunity to actively contribute to a healthier, more reliable information space on social networks. In response to the growing challenges of online misinformation, we developed a targeted initiative to produce six educational video reels focused on practical fact-checking techniques and media literacy, designed to equip everyday social media users with the tools to spot and counter misleading content.

GV: What issue/challenge in your community prompted you to undertake this project?

AA: The Armenian social media space is heavily impacted by disinformation, low-quality content, and online hostility. Every day, social media feeds reveal content that not only disappoints users but also generates widespread panic and fear.

These unreliable narratives actively erode public trust in vital institutions. Recognizing that this negative information environment harms societal well-being, we felt compelled to act. This critical challenge prompted us to undertake our project, aiming to equip users with the critical thinking and fact-checking tools needed to counter misleading content and foster a healthier digital community.

GV: What are the key changes/activities that your organization implemented during your participation in the project?

AA: Our primary challenge was translating complex fact-checking concepts, such as lateral reading and AI artifact identification, into engaging, accessible content for ordinary social media users.

To achieve this, we focused on breaking down advanced media literacy techniques into simple, highly intuitive video reels. We designed our activities to ensure that even technologically non-advanced audiences could easily grasp and apply these verification tools. By stripping away heavy jargon and demonstrating practical, step-by-step digital hygiene habits, we empowered everyday viewers to independently spot disinformation, assess online sources critically, and navigate social media feeds with greater confidence and discernment.

GV: How did your participation in the project impact your organization’s beneficiaries and the community that you serve? Please provide examples.

AA: This project was a mutual learning experience for our team and our community. Our target beneficiaries included adults aged 18 and older, with a strong focus on reaching audiences in regional villages. Witnessing their growth as they mastered practical fact-checking tools was deeply rewarding.

A key highlight of our impact was making this educational content fully accessible: we provided sign language translation for viewers with hearing impairments, ensuring that marginalized community members could benefit from our media literacy campaign. By bridging the digital and accessibility gaps, we helped foster a more informed, inclusive, and resilient public space across Armenia.

GV: How has your own knowledge, awareness, and experience with digital democracy and civic space changed, thanks to your participation in the project?

AA: We learned. We learned about fact-checking. We learned to be a group. It was a rewarding process. And we became aware that even little actions can have a big effect. We are very excited.

GV: What are the most valuable lessons and experiences you are taking away from this project?

AA: It was interesting. Two groups of content creators worked on the project. One team was composed of professional journalists over 60 years old. Another team was composed of young and inspired professionals in content creation in their early 20s and 30s. It was fascinating to see how experience could go hand in hand with young minds and innovation. The combination of older-age experience with the enthusiasm of the young was the lesson we learned from this project.

GV: What comes next? How will you apply the learning and digital capacity you have built in your future work and within your community?

AA: The video reels we created are not a one-time event. We are going to use them during trainings and also share them with other civic actors. But we also think that we should build on this. Right now, we have some inspiring ideas that we want to bring to life. Let’s see what the future brings.

Written by Daria Dergacheva