Examples from Brazil and Serbia. By Antje Bauer Unclear image: Reflection of a giant puppet of Brazilian President Jair Bolsanaro. "Alternative facts" have become the epitome of the infinite possibilities found on the internet and online media to mislead users since Donald Trump’s inauguration. For many users, opinions and beliefs are truer than proven facts. Politicians use their powers of persuasion and manipulation to bind their followers and find new ones. One example is the propaganda machinery of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, which contributed to his election victory in 2018 and helped cover up the government’s failure to combat the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. Our author Philipp Lichterbeck, who lives in Brazil, explains this. We also look at how NGOs and journalists are joining forces to combat the rampant spread of mis- and disinformation with fact-checking platforms so that facts and opinions can once again be separated.