The third edition of the stand-up competition “Stop Disinformation,” organized by TV-Nord on February 19, 2026, brought together young people from several localities in northern Republic of Moldova. The event showed that humor can be an effective tool to address a serious topic: disinformation.

Participants took the stage not only to make the audience laugh, but also to deliver an important message about the dangers of fake news and the need for critical thinking in the online space.

“Such events are very important, especially since we live in an era of fake news. Young people need to learn how to distinguish between truth and lies” said one of the participants.

Beyond the artistic aspect, the competition also served as a lesson on how information manipulation works. The young participants addressed topics such as disinformation, sensational headlines, influencers, advertising, and social pressure in the online environment.

The event, held in the town of Mărculești, Florești district, showed that stand-up can be more than entertainment. Through jokes and real-life situations, participants encouraged the audience to ask questions, analyze information, and not automatically believe everything they see online.

“Through humor, but also through messages sometimes delivered jokingly and other times very seriously, we tried to convey an important idea: disinformation can become a dangerous weapon. That is why accurate information, critical analysis, and clear thinking are responsibilities that belong to all of us” said Nicoleta, one of the participants.

Also present at the event, Alexandru Ghețan, a member of the Standupovka stand-up club, noted the evolution of the competition from one edition to another.

“This is already the third edition I have attended, and I can say that this year’s event was the most successful so far. It was clear that the young participants truly understood the topic. There was also a lot of diversity: the performances were not only about disinformation, but also about the effects of marketing, advertising, and the way social networks influence people” he said.

The competition is part of a series of initiatives aimed at developing critical thinking among young people and helping them recognize and counter disinformation.