The New Post-Truth Disorder: Safeguarding democracy in times of digital turmoil

In recent years, the European Union and its Member States have worked together to combat disinformation through a variety of measures, including EU regulatory action, support for independent media and journalism, strengthening civil society and promoting media literacy. Recently, these policy responses to disinformation have come under increasing attack. Resistance is being mobilised by digital industries, political parties and foreign states in defence of freedom of expression and the media. As a result, the resilience of democratic institutions to ensure the quality of debate and evidence-based information in areas such as democratic elections, environmental protection or foreign relations is increasingly being tested. Based on the findings of a two-year research project on the dynamics of post-truth politics and democratic resilience, this final conference will discuss the future prospects of the EU's regulatory approach to disinformation and journalism in a global context. How can democratic institutions be protected from the challenge of post-truth? Will a new post-truth disorder consolidate, disrupting democratic institutions and journalism to the point of no return, or can the EU lead the way in protecting the standards of a democratic public sphere?

Panels:
 

Thursday, 11 September, 14-16
Panel 1: The Posttruth Disorder: Information and journalism in the digital age

Panel Chair: Marco Solinas | Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna

Jacopo Custodi, Hans-Joerg Trenz | SNS and Martin Moland | Arena, University of Oslo: 
Countering Post-Truth: A Comparative Study of Journalism’s Responses to Disinformation Challenges

Verena Braendle | University of Birmingham: 
What does it mean to be well informed in the digital age?

Luis Bouza | Universidad Autònoma de Madrid and Alvaro Oleart | Universitè Libre de Bruxelles: 
Regulating Disinformation and Big Tech in the EU

Luca Raffini | University of Genova:
Conspiracism, knowledge and post-truth

Thursday, 11 September, 16.30-18.30
Panel 2: EU elections in the era of disinformation

Panel Chair: Sofia Verza | EUI

Silvia Keeling | SNS and Giuliana Sorci | Università di Siena: 
Disinformation and AI: The EU's Missed Opportunity to Promote Digital Strategy in 2024 Elections

Matteo Gerli | Università per Stranieri, Perugia, Hans Joerg Trenz | SNS, Michele Dentico | Sapienza, Roma and Fabrizia Pasciuto | Università della Tuscia: Explaining social media campaigning during 2024 European Parliament elections: X as a press office

Rossana Sampugnaro | Università di Catania, Patrizia Santoro | Università di Catania: 
European Parties and Spitzenkandidaten in 2024 EP Election Campaigns

Katjana Gattermann | University of Amsterdam: 
Disinformation and the 2024 EP elections

Friday, 12 September, 09.15-11.00
Panel 3: Voices and actions of young European citizens: beyond post-truth democracy

Panel Chair: Guendalina Simoncini | SNS

Michele Sorice | Sapienza Università di Roma: 
Communities of resistance and empowerment practices in the neo-liberal city

Lucia D’Ambrosi | Sapienza, Roma e Fabrizia Pasciuto | Università della Tuscia: 
Communication resilience: young people's response to information disorders

Roberto Barbeito | Rey Juan Carlos, Madrid, Mariaeugenia Parito | Università di Catania, Luca Raffini | Università di Genova: 
Native European youth in action? Participatory and communicative practices of Volt party

Friday, 12 September, 11.30-13.30
Panel 4: European Green Deal and farmers’ protest

Chair: Rolando Marini e Matteo Gerli | Università per Stranieri di Perugia

Ottavio Quirico | Università per Stranieri di Perugia:
Procedural climate rights and European Green Deal

Rolando Marini | Università per Stranieri di Perugia: 
The Shaping of the Economy/Environment Cleavage among Politics, Civil Society and Media

Matteo Gerli | Università per Stranieri di Perugia: 
Green Transition and Rural Backlash: Mapping the Italian Farmers’ Protests Against the European Green Deal

Michele Dentico | Università per Stranieri di Perugia: 
A Visual Protest: Auto-Representation as Symbolic Identity of the Farmers’ Movement in Italy 

Daniela Chironi | SNS, Eugene Nulman | Università di Firenze: 
The Green Deal and Local Protest

Discussant: Tommaso Venturini | University of Geneva

PRIN2: “Post-truth politics and the resilience of the public sphere in Europe” (POPSPHERE), codice 2022FA5YPL. CUP E53D23006680006 ”Finanziamento dell’Unione Europea – NextGenerationEU, M4c2”