A conversation among leading news executives about emerging forms of censorship
News distribution has changed fundamentally; So too have the means by which it is suppressed and manipulated. Today’s news organizations must evolve their understanding of censorship if they are to combat it effectively.
Dr. Yaser Bishr, EVP of Digital Media for Al Jazeera Media Network, leads a panel discussion of leaders from global news outlets about the emerging forms of censorship in the digital age.
The conversation will seek to document the manifold ways that censorship has manifests in a fast-evolving digital landscape. For example:
– Twitter + Facebook have testified in US Congressional hearings against claims of algorithmic bias against conservative news, improper handling of user data, and failures to safeguard their platforms against misinformation campaigns designed to skew election results.
– Snapchat has complied with demands from sovereign entities to block Al Jazeera content in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and UAE, setting a dangerous precedent. Netflix has followed similar demands. Google’s rumored push into China has generated controversy along the same lines.
– States have appropriated and invoked fears of “fake news,” an idiom that was born to describe misinformation on Facebook, as a justification for suppressing freedom of press and with the aim of eroding public trust in media.
– The fragmentation of the media landscape threatens the health of public discourse, creating economic incentives toward increased extremism and entrenched media political polarization.
Suggested Speaker(s)
- Dr. Yaser Bishr (@YaserBi)
Executive Vice President of Digital Media, Al Jazeera Media Network