As part of the series of CIVICA lectures “Tours d’Europe”, the National University of Political Studies and Public Administration (SNSPA) will hold a debate on the negative impact of fake news on democracy.
The debate will take place on March 17, between 5:00 – 6.30 PM CET.
The series of lectures and public debates organized by CIVICA facilitates the dialogue between academic researchers and the civic society, allowing the general public to take full advantage of the advancements in social research for robust democracies.
To Join
The Event
If you want to attend the event you must register using the link below. The language of the event is English.
The topic of the debate is “Fake news and democracy. Empowering people when confronted with misinformation”. Fake news is an umbrella term to define a broader array of information disorders, ranging from disinformation (information that is false and created with the intention to harm people and societies), to misinformation (information that is misleading or false, but the people who share it do not realize this and do not mean harm), to honest journalistic mistakes.
Through their effects, fake news and information disorders are a threat to democracy and to efficient governance. Fake news can influence opinions, can alter the organic processes of public opinion formation, and ultimately, can shape behaviors, from voting, to taking a stance on different public issues. Ultimately, fake news promotes toxic narratives, spreads doubt and confusion, and increases social polarization, affecting democratic decision-making.
Fake news can be a tool for populism, antisemitism, xenophobia and other extreme political views. Nevertheless, one of the response measures is inoculating the audience against this phenomenon, by encouraging critical thinking, fact-checking, and by developing media literacy interventions.
The presentations, followed by a Q&A session, will be held by Alina Bârgăoanu – Dean, College of Communication and Public Relations (SNSPA), Marius Dragomir – Director, Center for Media, Data and Society (CEU), and Nick Anstead – Associate Professor, Department of Media and Communications (LSE). Gianni Riotta, Italian journalist, member of the European Union’s High-Level Group on Fake News, Pirelli Visiting Professor at Princeton University, will moderate the debate.
Read more, here.
