Inside the Information War: Journalism on Europe’s Frontline

In the latest episode of the Eastern Frontline Podcast, host MEPs Reinis Pozņaks and Petras Auštrevičius are joined by Sarah Wheaton, Chief Policy Correspondent at Politico Europe, to explore the role of journalism in times of crisis
The Eastern Frontline Group

By The Eastern Frontline Group

The Eastern Frontline Group is an informal alliance of 43 Members of the European Parliament from 13 EU countries, representing nearly all political groups. Founded in October 2024 by Latvian MEP Reinis Poznaks, EFG works to ensure that the unique challenges of EU states bordering Russia remain a priority on the Union’s political agenda.

01 Dec 2025

In today’s conflicts, some of the fiercest battles are not fought with weapons, but with information. In this episode, MEP Reinis Pozņaks and MEP Petras Auštrevičius are joined by Sarah Wheaton, Chief Policy Correspondent at Politico Europe, to explore the role of journalism in times of crisis and the growing pressure on independent media.

Together, they discuss:

  • How disinformation and polarisation are reshaping public debate in Europe
  • The challenge of verifying truth in an era of AI, deepfakes and viral content
  • Why trust in traditional media is eroding, and what that means for democracy
  • How foreign influence operations fuel division 
  • The uncomfortable reality that journalists themselves are now targets

Listen below or via Apple Podcasts or Spotify

 

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