Post-Truth Politics: Can Democracy Survive Disinformation?

How is disinformation reshaping democratic societies? Experts Camille François, Nikole Hannah-Jones, and Piotr Smolar, under the guidance of moderator Steve Clemons, dissect the dangers posed by the spread of falsehoods in the digital age.

The concept ‘post-truth’ describes the cocktail of disinformation and devaluation of facts that Western democracies are facing. Disinformation, facilitated by AI, is polarizing public opinion, promoting violent extremism and hate speech and, ultimately, undermining our democracies and diminishing trust in our electoral and judicial systems. How can we measure the threat of disinformation and what tools do we have to offset its corrosive effects? How can we adjust our behaviors and mindset ––both as individuals and as a society –– to temper its destruction?

This event will explore:

• The evolving nature of false information online
• Social media’s dual role in spreading and combating disinformation
• Challenges in promoting critical thinking and media literacy
• International perspectives on protecting democratic discourse
• The global context and impact of disinformation campaigns
• Complexities of communicating facts in a “post-truth” environment

“Democracy in an Age of Uncertainty: French and American Perspectives,” a public discussion series from Villa Albertine taking place in person in and around Washington, DC, will give a voice to French and American experts and US-based audiences alike on topics as diverse as disinformation, civic and youth engagement, and more. Kicking off in 2024, the series will continue through 2026, marking the 250th anniversary of the United States Declaration of Independence.

Explore all “Democracy in an Age of Uncertainty” events here.

“Democracy in an Age of Uncertainty: French and American Perspectives” is made possible thanks to the Judy and Peter Blum Kovler Foundation.

Panelists

Camille François, Associate Professor, Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs

Camille Francois (she/her) is an Associate Professor at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, where she notably leads programs on Trust & Safety, and broader Technology & Democracy issues. She specializes in mitigating harms from digital technologies, having previously served as Senior Director for Trust & Safety at Niantic and Chief Innovation Officer at Graphika. Camille has advised governments and tech companies globally: she has led high-impact investigations and policy initiatives, including examining Russian interference for the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee and spearheading France’s national inquiry into the metaverse’s societal implications. In 2023, French President Macron appointed her to steer a national assembly on Information and Society.

Nikole Hannah-Jones, Creator, The 1619 Project; Staff Writer, The New York Times Magazine

Nikole Hannah-Jones is the Pulitzer Prize-winning creator of the 1619 Project and a staff writer at The New York Times Magazine. The book version of The 1619 Project as well as the 1619 Project children’s book, Born on the Water, were instant #1 New York Times bestsellers. Her 1619 Project is now a six-part docuseries on Hulu and won the Emmy for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series. Hannah-Jones has spent her career investigating racial inequality and injustice, and her reporting has earned her the MacArthur Fellowship, known as the Genius grant, a Peabody Award, two George Polk Awards and the National Magazine Award three times.

Read more here.

Piotr Smolar, Special Correspondent, Le Monde

Piotr Smolar is the senior correspondent of the French newspaper Le Monde in Washington. Before that, he covered French diplomacy (2019-2021) and was based in Jerusalem (2014-2019), writing on Israel and the Palestinian territories. He also lived in Russia for four years, witnessing the end of the Yeltsin era and Putin’s advent for the newspaper Le Figaro.  Piotr Smolar is the author of a book on Russia’s heartland, Gloubinka, promenades au coeur de la Russie (L’Inventaire, 2002) and Mauvais Juif (L’Equateur, 2019), published in the US in September 2024 under the title Bad Jew (Other Press).   

Moderated by Steve Clemons, Founder of the American Strategy Program, New America Foundation

Steve Clemons is a former Washington editor-at-large at The Atlantic and editor of AtlanticLIVE. Clemons is a senior fellow and the founder of the American Strategy Program at the New America Foundation, a centrist think tank in Washington, D.C., where he previously served as executive vice president.