EURACTIV's Agenda

of all European Affairs Events, conferences, presentations and workshops.

Democracy in a Digital Society - Trust, Evidence and Public Discourse in a Changing Media Environment

Date

24 Jan 2019 09:30 to 16:30

Address

Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities
Jägerstraße 22-23
10117  Berlin
Belgium

Section

InfoSociety

Event Location

Germany

Event Description

AGENDA
9:30AM - Opening Remarks
Prof Martin Grötschel, President of the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities
Prof Antonio Loprieno, President of ALLEA, the European Federation of Academies of Sciences and Humanities
President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, President of Re-Imagine Europa, former President of France
9:45AM - Issues of Democracy in a Digital Society
Prof Manuel Castells, Chairman of the Re-Imagine Europa Taskforce on Democracy in a Digital Society
10:10AM - Disinformation: A European Response
Ms Mariya Gabriel, European Commissioner for Digital Economy and Society 
10:30AM - Plenary Discussion
In addition to the keynote speakers, the discussion will be animated by two expert commentators:
- Maria João Rodrigues, Member of the European Parliament, Vice-President of the S&D Group and President of FEPS - European Foundation of Progressive Studies
- Krzysztof Szubert, University of Oxford, Former Secretary of State / Deputy Minister of Digital Affairs, Poland
 
Chaired by: Anthony Gooch, Director of Public Affairs & Communications at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
11:10AM - Formation of breakout groups / room change
11:20AM - Breakout Sessions (coffee/tea served)
Participants will be grouped into four expert roundtables to discuss real solutions and options. Final questions will be published after initial talks with all experts 
12:20PM - Lunch
13:00PM - Public Reason in a Digital Age
Baroness O’Neill of Bengarve, Co-chair of the ALLEA Working Group Truth, Trust and Expertise and former President of the British Academy
13:20 - Values as a Dwindling Source of Democracy in a Digitally Flooded Society?
Prof Christiane Woopen, Chair of the European Group on Ethics in Science and New Technologies; Exec. Director of the Center for Ethics, Rights, Economics, and Social Sciences of Health (CERES), University of Cologne
13:40PM - Plenary Discussion
In addition to the keynote speakers, the discussion will be animated by two expert commentators:
- Lambert van Nistelrooij, Member of the European Parliament and Member of the European Internet Forum 
- Professor Žiga Turk, University of Ljubljana
 
Chaired by: Professor Ed Noort, Co-Chair of the ALLEA Working Group Truth, Trust and Expertise
14:10PM - Formation of breakout groups / room change
14:20PM - Breakout Sessions
Participants will be grouped into four expert roundtables to discuss real solutions and options. Final questions will be published after initial talks with all experts 
15:20PM - Plenary Discussion
Presentation of main conclusions of each group and discussion
Chaired by: Erika Widegren, Chief Executive of Re-Imagine Europa
 
-    Brando Benifei, Member of the European Parliament and Member of the European Internet Forum
-    Christophe Leclercq, Executive Chairman, Fondation EURACTIV
-    Professor Alain Strowel, ALLEA Working Group Intellectual Property Rights
-    Professor Gloria Origgi, ALLEA Working Group Truth, Trust and Expertise (tbc)
 
16:10PM - Concluding remarks and next steps
Prof Manuel Castells, Re-Imagine Europa
Prof Antonio Loprieno, ALLEA
 
 
BACKGROUND
The event “Democracy in a Digital Society – Trust, Evidence and Public Discourse in a Changing Media Environment” will address the most pressing questions on the impact of digital transformations on democratic institutions in Europe and beyond.
The forum will bring together leading experts from academia, politics, industry, civil society organisations and media to come up with some concrete proposals of what a European model for a digital society could look like and what values should guide this process.
The discussions will build on the work developed by the ALLEA Working Group Truth, Trust and Expertise and act as the starting point for Re-Imagine Europa’s task force on “Democracy in a Digital Society”. Questions addressed will include: How can we maintain a healthy media ecosystem in a digital world? How do information and disinformation spread on social media? How can we deal with big data in an ethical way? How are these tools used to sway public opinion? What is the role of narratives in creating shared worldviews? How is trust in scientific evidence, the media and long-established democratic institutions affected? What is the value of truth?
The communication ecosystem is central to a well-functioning society and its influence in shaping minds - and thus reality - has been emphasised by its enormous impact on recent events underlining the fact that the control and ownership of the internet will be one of the most important battles of our time.

 

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