Potsdam, 26 October 2022. The Strategic Working Group III was dedicated to the topic “How we respond to information warfare: Can we reclaim information as a European public good?” and was moderated by Prof. Dr Alexandra Borchardt, senior journalist, book author, lecturer, media consultant and member of the M100 Advisory Board. She also presented the outcome of the discussion. The introductory impulses were given by Meera Selva, CEO for Internews Europe, UK, and Roman Badanin, founder and editor-in-chief of Proekt and of Agentstvo, an association of journalists targeted by the Russian government for their investigative reporting.
The problem definition identified by the participants included the changed information environment, the lack of gatekeeping capacity of the media, and non-democratic actors exploiting this opportunity for themselves. There is a lack of effective responses from other actors such as the state, traditional media and platform companies to effectively address this problem. The thought-provoking question of whether information ever existed as a European public good was also raised.
The problem definition identified by the group participants included the changed information environment, the lack of gatekeeping capacity of the media, and non-democratic actors exploiting this opportunity for themselves. There is a lack of effective responses from other actors such as the state, traditional media and platform companies to effectively address this problem. The thought-provoking question of whether information ever existed as a European public good was also raised.
The younger generation, which did not grow up with the traditional media, usually had little trust in them. One of the most important tasks of the traditional media is to win back the trust of the younger generation.
Disinformation is only a secondary problem. The most important thing is the accuracy and truthfulness of the information disseminated by the media. Many people are aware that propaganda exists and has always existed, especially in times of war.
Keypoints:
• Independence and plurality of the media is key. The media must be transparent about ownership and funding of independent media and ensure that they operate economically.
• There is no universal model for media and journalism (and the rules that apply to it), it depends on cultures and is different in peacetime and wartime and in the global North and South.
• The issue is mostly discussed from a Western and peace perspective with democratic actors. The answers we need to develop have to be tailored to each situation, which makes it very difficult to find a one-size-fits-all solution for the whole of Europe.
• We need greater media literacy for all generations and in all parts of society. But this cannot be achieved by the media alone. It is the task of all educational institutions to make transparent how media and new media platforms work.
• The traditional media have failed the new generation. Young people want more explanations, a systemic view instead of a narrow focus on current news. They need to feel seen and represented.
• The media need to listen to their audience. They need to make truth attractive and help audiences deal with uncertainty. Journalism as a service.
• Media must be truthful, yet popular – this is the fine line journalism must walk.
• The media must be perceived as an important and vibrant democratic institution.
• Traditional media should build more inclusive editorial teams with different perspectives and also listen more to young journalists (less hierarchical structures and more interaction).
