Can democracy exist in the digital era?

From viral police brutality videos shot by citizen journalists to whisper networks and remote organizing during the pandemic, digital technologies have empowered people around the world to advance their struggles for justice, accountability, democracy, and dignity. At the same time, from unrelenting lobbying efforts to sophisticated systems of surveillance and censorship, from Facebook going to battle with the Australian government to gig companies rewriting labor law in California, Big Tech continues to assert its power to set the limits of democracy for the rest of us. So, what does “democracy” even mean in the digital era? Who decides what that meaning is? And what does the struggle for democracy look like in our technology-filled world?

In the second of our three-part livestream series “The Long Sili-CON: Power & Censorship in the Digital Era,” co-produced by TRNN and Project Censored, we explore the ways our digital reality has shaped our ability to live and act democratically. We will host this livestream on Wednesday, May 5, from 8-9:30 pm EDT on The Real News Network YouTube channel, which will include a panel discussion and a live Q&A session with panelists and audience members. Our panel will include:

Maximillian Alvarez (discussion moderator) – Editor-in-Chief, The Real News Network

Veena Dubal — Professor of Law, University of California, Hastings

Meredith Whittaker — Minderoo Research Professor, New York University; co-founder of AI Now Institute

Robin Andersen — Professor of Communication and Media Studies, Fordham University

Mickey Huff (Q&A moderator) – Director, Project Censored; President, Media Freedom Foundation

Join us for this important event and be part of the discussion! Register on Eventbrite for information about viewing and for updates on the other livestreams in the series.