The role of (social) media in highly polarized societies

Polarization has evolved to a dominant feature in many societies such as Poland, Turkey, South Africa or Malaysia.  The consequences are often detrimental for political and social cohesion. There’s a general view that the proliferation of digital media has enhanced this process, creating or widening social cleavages. 

The panel will take stock of the situation in the aforementioned countries and discuss strategies for overcoming this potentially dangerous phenomenon. The aim is to arrive at a joint understanding of the linkages between media, technology and polarization. 

Moderation:

Ronald Meinardus - Head of Regional Office South Asia, Friedrich Naumann Foundation, India

Speakers: 

Premesh Chandran - CEO and Co-Founder, Malaysiakini, Malaysia 

Gareth Cliff- Author, South Africa

Anna Dudek - Editor, Oko.press, Poland

Murat Şevki Çoban - Journalist, Platform.24, Turkey