Date/Time
Date(s) - 30/06/2022
8:00 pm - 9:30 pm
Categories
Against the backdrop of the war with Ukraine, the Russian government has sharply increased funding for state media, resulting in an unprecedented level of state propaganda spread on social media platforms. According to an article in the Moscow Times, the expenditures on state TV channels, agencies, and publications jumped 3.2 times since March, causing an insurmountable flood of unverifiable digital content by the state-owned Russia Today and Sputnik on Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, and other social media on the conflict in Ukraine.
Independent Media and Journalists in Ukraine and Russia are both calling for an end to digital disinformation and confusion by halting the carefree proliferation of content sponsored by a genocidal regime.
Is freedom of speech sacrosanct or does the distribution of content via the internet come with responsibilities and if so, where lies that responsibility? Who are duty bearers? How do these decisions affect internet connectivity? Will censoring Putin’s propaganda machine be a precedent for the future curbing of freedom of the press and internet freedom? Will the acceptance of genocidal propaganda stir illiberalism in Europe that will have those consequences? This seems to be a watershed moment that potentially splits activists.
The evening will consist of two parts. Starting with an update on the current status of internet infrastructure and journalism in the conflicted areas, followed up by a debate.
Participants in the debate are Ilya Shcharbitski, Sophia Kornienko, Geert Lovink, Elmaz Asanova, Ruben Brave, Niels ten Oever, Vesna Manojlovic and Leon Willems. More names will be announced soon.