WEASA – days six and seven

We hit the ground running in the second week of WEASA. On Monday, we welcomed veteran journalist Edward Lucas, who shared his immense knowledge on matters related to modern journalism, disinformation, and much more. Participants had the chance to listen to his lectures, while also taking part in an extensive Q&A session, during which they covered topics pertaining topics related to individual cases of disinformation, journalistic ethics, and much more.

Tuesday. Another day that focuses deeply on disinformation and how to fight it. We had the privilege of hosting Laura Rosenberger, an experienced foreign policy expert who now focuses on fighting Russian disinformation and propaganda. We talked about the impact that disinformation can have on a society. Discussions also touched upon how fake news campaigns often try to exploit social tensions.

Finally, Tuesday evening gave us a chance to switch away from heavy geopolitical matters and focus on ethnography instead. We hosted Mateusz Halawa, an ethnographer who studies our relationship and interaction with our mobile devices, and talked about the opportunities, anxieties, and feelings that always-on mobile phones and constant access to data bring about.