Watch this space (and pay for it): Alaveteli-driven exposure of the misuse of public resources in an election campaign

September 28, 2021 from 3:20 pm to 3:30 pm

Speaker: Dražen Hoffmann (Gong, Croatia)

Part of the Right to Know across Europe: impacts and lessons learned session of TICTeC Show and Tells 2021
Tuesday 28th September, 15:00 – 16:00 BST

In April 2021, Gong used the Alaveteli-powered platform ImamoPravoZnati.org (lit. WeHaveTheRightToKnow.org) to unveil the practice of funding a YouTube channel by the mayors and country prefect of a county in Croatia, ahead of the May 2021 local elections. The quaint footage of seaside towns and villages, and boasting of successful projects, in fact concealed a misuse of public resources for the purposes of incumbents’ campaigns.

This practice of non-transparent media buying is one that Gong addresses continuously.

The presentation focuses on how watchdog organisations and citizens can use FOI platforms to fight malfeasance in campaign finance.