Panel Discussion „Media freedom, populism and democratic resilience“

The digital society offers new opportunities for democratic participation – but also countless possibilities for the dissemination of manipulative content. Populists, opponents of democracy and other actors with strategic interests can easily use the access to online communities to spread propaganda, hate speech and fake news.

How resilient are open and democratic societies – such as Japan and Germany – to these influences? How can they address the problem of interference in their political debate without unnecessarily restricting the freedom of the public debate itself? And what is the role of the media and professional journalists in that context? Can free and independent media contribute to making democracy more resilient?

To discuss these topics, the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES), the German Embassy in Tokyo and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Natur- und Völkerkunde Ostasiens (OAG) will host a panel discussion with academics, journalists and experts from Japan and Germany.

Date: 2 December 2020

Time: 18:30 - 20:15 (registration open at 18:00)

Language: English with simultaneous translation in Japanese

Venue: Hall of the OAG-Haus/German Cultural Center Tokyo, Akasaka 7-5-56, Minato-ku, Tokyo

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, prior registration is required at office@fes-japan.org. The venue will be filled to less than 50% capacity, ensuring social distancing. Participants are expected to wear a mask during the event and are asked to have temperature taken before entering the conference venue.

Online Streaming:

English: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUg2p8afkhE&feature=youtu.be

Japanese: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLnPF9Cunm8&feature=youtu.be

Organized by: Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) Tokyo Office, German Embassy in Tokyo and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Natur- und Völkerkunde Ostasiens (OAG)