Democracy and the information environment

This month on the Centre for Media Transition podcast Double Take, Research Fellow Michael Davis speaks with Robin Mansell, Professor Emerita at the London School of Economics and Political Science, and Scientific Director of the International Observatory on Information and Democracy. 

The Observatory, modelled on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, aims to provide governments and the public with a clear, evidence-based understanding of the global information environment and its impact on democracy. Earlier this year, it released a landmark report involving over 60 researchers and drawing on more than 1600 sources. The report covers a wide range of issues, including misinformation, trust in news, the sustainability of journalism, the influence of digital platforms, data governance, the implications of AI, and approaches to regulation. 

In this episode, Robin discusses the Observatory’s findings and reflects on the urgent need to adopt a broader, ecosystem-based approach to addressing the challenges of information integrity. 

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