On September 14 and 15, the 75th anniversary symposium of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Information und Wissen e.V. (DGI) (German Society for Information and Knowledge) took place in Frankfurt am Main. Our board members Juliane Stiller and Violeta Trkulja attended this event. The symposium was a complete success, featuring a series of stimulating lectures, workshops, and an interesting poster session. Besides the scientific contributions, both the history and the future of the DGI were topics in lectures and workshops. A highlight was the poetry slam, which complemented the formal speeches and warm congratulations from attendees and those joining virtually. The festive program was rounded off by wonderful catering and the beautiful venue.
As part of the professional contributions, Ms. Trkulja and Ms. Stiller, together with Gesine Andersen, Jonathan D. Geiger, Sylvia Kullmann, and Gudrun Schmidt, organized a fishbowl discussion, which was introduced by a keynote speech on "Fake News and Information Literacy." In the speech, Ms. Trkulja and Ms. Stiller focused on key questions examining the motivations behind the creation and dissemination of fake news, the mechanisms of their mass distribution in the media, and their impact on society.
In the subsequent discussion, the focus was on how both individual and societal resilience against the flood of fake news can be achieved. The "empty chair" on the podium, inviting open discussion, was used by many participants to share views and perspectives with those present. Particularly interesting was the lively discussion on the relationship between societal prosperity, democratic norms, press freedom, and a society's resilience against disinformation.
The lively discussions and active exchange once again underscored the importance of information competence and the urgency of combating disinformation in today's world.
For those who would like further insights into the discussed content, the presentation is available for review: View Presentation
P.S.: Vera Münch wrote a conference report (in German) about the entire event and the lecture by Juliane Stiller and Violeta Trkulja in b.i.t.online, which provides a very good overview of the event and the topics discussed. Many thanks for this!