Democracy in the age of disinformation

Disinformation jeopardizes trust in politics and the media, distorts political communication and undermines democratic processes. What consequences does this have for society? This question will be addressed on June 6, 2025 at a conference organized by the Chair of Political Philosophy, Theory and History of Ideas at the University campus Freiburg, followed by a panel discussion.

The conference will bring together political science, historical, philosophical and pedagogical perspectives to examine the dynamics and effects of disinformation in the digital age - and to explore ways to strengthen the democratic public sphere.

Lectures followed by a discussion:

• 09:15 - 9:40: Uwe Wagschal - How political is AI? ChatGPT, bias and algorithmic answers
• 10:15 - 10:40: Martin Baesler - Disinformation and the erosion of the political - a question of trust?
• 11:00 - 11:25 a.m.: Astrid Hähnlein - Political lies - following Hannah Arendt
• 13:15 - 13:40: Bernd Remmele - Misconceptions as a prerequisite for misinformation and misinformation - perspectives on economic education
• 14:00 - 14:25: Zlatko Valentic - Trying to live in lies - Political understanding in the light of disinformation
• 15:00 - 15:25: Oliver Hidalgo - Deepfakes and conspiracy ideologies as agents of democratic disinformation - Between resilience and self-efficacy
• 15:45 - 16:10: Romy Jaster - Self-isolating beliefs and trust

Panel discussion

• 17:00 - 18:30: Daniel Leese, Oliver Hidalgo, Uwe Wagschal and Zlatko Valentic: Disinformation and the future of democracy. Moderation: Thomas Steiner (Badische Zeitung)