Democracy is changing, not least in digital spaces. We mustn’t passively standby but get active.
In our project “Upgrade Democracy”, we build bridges between diverse, international actors and disseminate solutions that successfully counter disinformation in their respective contexts and/or innovatively use digital tools to strengthen democracy.
Democracies around the world are under pressure. Targeted disinformation campaigns by anti-democratic forces are igniting and fueling polarization, radicalization and discord. Their dangerous goal is to destabilize Western democracies and expand their own sphere of power.
Disinformation campaigns create and exacerbate disunity, polarization and conflict among the population. In the long term, they undermine trust in democratic institutions, processes and actors. That is why they pose a threat to democracy as a whole.
Disinformation is not a new phenomenon, but it unfolds a new dimension and dynamic in our digitalized public sphere.
Disinformation campaigns adopt the functional logic of social media: The more emotionalized, controversial or pointed the statements, the faster and stronger the posts and comments are spread by the algorithms of the major social platforms, which are optimized for clicks and reactions. Rising numbers of users and the trend toward more and more people informing themselves on social platforms increase the damage potential of such campaigns.
It is essential that we consciously deal with disinformation and take measures that protect and strengthen democratic, liberal processes. In a nutshell: democracy needs an upgrade.
All of us – citizens, politicians, journalists, academics and activists – must ensure that democracy is equipped to meet the challenges of the digital public sphere and make better use of the opportunities it presents. After all, digitization also represents an opportunity for democratic states and their citizens by creating new possibilities for political participation, more diverse discourse and greater transparency. Together and in constant exchange with experts and partners, we can and want to contribute to this discourse. We are not only on the lookout for good-practice approaches internationally, but in 2024 we will also be awarding the Reinhard Mohn Prize on this topic.
This is us
Co-Lead
Project Manager
Project Assistant
Project Manager
Reinhard Mohn Preis Office
Project Manager
Co-Lead
Junior Projektmanagerin
Director
Guest authors
Alexander von Humboldt Institut für Internet und Gesellschaft
Alexander von Humboldt Institut für Internet und Gesellschaft
Freie Journalistin
Leibniz-Institut für Medienforschung │ Hans-Bredow-Institut
Project Manager, Bertelsmann Stiftung