Alternative Points of View

The Institute of Social Sciences and Mass Communications was the venue for the lecture and forum, which was conducted in English. The lecture was entitled 'The Populist and Liberal Agenda in Global Public Communications' and sought to give an even-handed analysis of the ways that traditional political classes and the new populist politicians attempt to manipulate the media to their own ends. He also shared his opinion of the likely reaction of the media to a global crisis. During the forum he tackled another theme of relevance for contemporary journalists, 'Fact-checking in the Era of Fake News'. Professor Simons spoke about political propaganda in Western countries, the actual structure of liberal democracies, and the importance of research in the internet age, as well as its pitfalls. He welcomed questions from the students, which quickly turned to the influence of the authorities on the media, against the backdrop of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. He went on to give recommendations on how not to become a victim of propaganda. After the meeting, he shared his impressions, saying,

“I didn't think the audience would have so many questions, but I was pleasantly surprised. It was useful for me to hear a differing set of views, and I enjoyed enlightening the students about some of the myths around the Western media.”