The coronavirus “infodemic”, the proliferation of disinformation, and the rise of authoritarianism worldwide have underscored the importance of fact-based journalism to public health, development, and accountable governance even as it has laid bare the complicated relationship between journalism and the technology platforms that mediate the public sphere. It has also underscored the deep structural inequalities in the information ecosystem as journalism struggles to remain visible and viable amid constantly shifting changes in how news is produced, packaged, and consumed. While online platforms have offered new opportunities to connect journalists with audiences, evade censorship, and engage in influential cross-border collaborations, they have also forced journalists to contend with shifting algorithmic priorities, warped incentive structures in the online economy, and an increasingly complex array of technology policies that shape the environment in which they work.

This panel is the second produced by UCLA Law’s Information Policy Lab, and the Institute for Technology, Law and Policy, aimed at exploring how contemporary legal regulatory developments might support sustainable journalism, and avenues forward for promoting a vibrant and healthy and public sphere.

Panelists:

• David Reid, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Government of New Zealand
• Joanna Smolinska, Directorate General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology, European Commission
• Owen Ripley, Dept. of Canadian Heritage, Government of Canada

• Michael Karanicolas, Institute for Technology, Law & Policy
• Courtney Radsch, Institute for Technology, Law & Policy
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