Digital Media at the Crossroads: Balancing Inclusivity, Civic Engagement, and Regulatory Challenges in the Age of Disinformation
Digital Media at the Crossroads: Balancing Inclusivity, Civic Engagement, and Regulatory Challenges in the Age of Disinformation
Tuesday, 8 July 2025: 15:00
Location: FSE021 (Faculty of Education Sciences (FSE))
Oral Presentation
The rapid transformation of digital media has transformed the means of communication into one that has unprecedented benefits and challenges in access, inclusivity, and regulation. This paper digs into how, on the one hand, digital platforms democratize access to media while also posing significant issues concerning algorithmic biases and the spread of disinformation. The two main themes highlight the potential of the platform in two ways: first, through concerns of accessibility and inclusivity, analyzing content consumption and public participation in democratic processes.
The paper, therefore, will spotlight digital platforms as influencers in relation to the shaping of a profile of civic engagement through social media and citizen journalism in order to draw out their dual potential in the enhancement or inhibition of democratic participation. With the growing influence of digital media in public discourse, more than at any other time, understanding its role in providing or blocking access to credible information has become important.
A mixed methods research approach will be adopted, combining the qualitative aspects of user perceptions regarding media credibility and engagement with quantitative analysis of algorithmic recommendation systems. Data-driven analysis will be conducted on how algorithmic systems influence the visibility of content and the ways users make their way around these systems to engage with different types of content. Surveys will further probe experiences and perceptions of user relationships regarding the credibility and inclusivity of digital media.
The paper will also delve into how regulatory frameworks of the future are shaping digital media. It will discuss global undertakings in balancing freedom of speech with regulation for the dangerous content, as well as new trends such as decentralized networks and blockchain verification with promises to redefine global media landscapes.
The paper, therefore, will spotlight digital platforms as influencers in relation to the shaping of a profile of civic engagement through social media and citizen journalism in order to draw out their dual potential in the enhancement or inhibition of democratic participation. With the growing influence of digital media in public discourse, more than at any other time, understanding its role in providing or blocking access to credible information has become important.
A mixed methods research approach will be adopted, combining the qualitative aspects of user perceptions regarding media credibility and engagement with quantitative analysis of algorithmic recommendation systems. Data-driven analysis will be conducted on how algorithmic systems influence the visibility of content and the ways users make their way around these systems to engage with different types of content. Surveys will further probe experiences and perceptions of user relationships regarding the credibility and inclusivity of digital media.
The paper will also delve into how regulatory frameworks of the future are shaping digital media. It will discuss global undertakings in balancing freedom of speech with regulation for the dangerous content, as well as new trends such as decentralized networks and blockchain verification with promises to redefine global media landscapes.