Restoring Integrity and Civil Discourse in the Information Space

It is said that we live in the era of post-truth politics where fake news, disinformation campaigns and vicious online exchanges combine with cyber-attacks, disclosure of confidential information and other challenges to internet governance. While the internet has democratized access to information, forged personal relations that defy space and time, and facilitated engagement between the government and the governed, it has also become an instrument of surveillance, censorship and control.  This autocratic cooptation of the digital space has been accompanied by attacks against print and broadcast media, which have traditionally been “democracy’s first line of defense.”  Given this context, how can liberals and democrats reclaim the internet as a venue for meaningful democratic engagement, while defending the free press and freedom of expression?        

Session Chair: 
Raul Cordenillo, Head of Communications and Knowledge Management, International IDEA 

Speakers: 
Anneli Jäätteenmäki, Member of European Parliament, Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Group, Finland
Marites Vitug, Editor-at-large, Rappler, Philippines
Emily Lau, Former Chairperson, Hong Kong Journalists Association, Hong Kong
Thepchai Yong, President, Confederation of ASEAN Journalists, Thailand

This is Plenary Session II of the 8th Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats (CALD) and Alliance of Liberals and Democrats in Europe (ALDE) Summit, which is held in conjunction with the 25th Anniversary of CALD at Dusit Thani Hotel, Bangkok, Thailand, 7-21 November 2018.