Fake News and Media Viability
24 – 26 April 2018, Beirut
Crowne Plaza-Hamra
Maharat Foundation and DW Akademie are organising an international conference “Fake News and Media Viability” in Beirut from 24 – 26 April 2018.
This conference is held within the “Digital Media Viability Lab” initiative which aims to provide concrete solutions to the problems media institutions are facing in the digital age. We approach viability by supporting innovation to help develop future ready business models that can create and distribute quality content.
Day 1, 24 April 2018
10:00 – 10:30 Welcome
Roula Mikhael, Executive Director, Maharat Foundation, Lebanon
Sandra van Edig, Country Manager Lebanon, DW Akademie, Germany
10:30 – 12:00 Panel: What does “fake news” mean around the world?
A panel of international experts discusses what the term “fake news” has come to mean in different parts of the world. What are the most well-known forms of disinformation? What are the differences in the debate over fake news from one region to another?
Moderator: Dima Tarhini, Senior Anchor and Editor, DW Arabic, Germany
We begin with a short a presentation from Sylvie Coudray, Chief of Section for Freedom of Expression, UNESCO, France
- Sylvie Coudray, Chief of Section for Freedom of Expression, UNESCO, France
- Rami Rhayem, Reporter, BBC, Lebanon
- Ranjan Roy, CEO, The Edge Group, USA
- Cristina Tardáguila, Director, Agência Lupa, Brazil
- Sayed Torky, ُExecutive Editor in Chief, Al-Menassa, Egypt
12:00 – 12:30 Coffee Break
12:30 – 1:30 Interactive session: New tools for verification
Dr. Walid Al Saqaf leads a workshop containing a hands-on demo of a few popular verification tools followed by a futuristic outlook at how blockchain technology and artificial intelligence could be helpful in the fight against disinformation.
Introduction: Dima Tarhini, Senior Anchor and Editor, DW Arabic, Germany
Walid Al Saqaf, Senior Lecturer in Journalism & Media Technology, Södertörn University – Stockholm, Sweden/ Yemen
If you would like to try the tools live with Al-Saqaf, please bring a laptop.
1:30 – 2:30 Lunch
2:30 – 3:30 Panel: Are laws the right way to deal with fake news?
Are new regulations the right way to tackle our problem with disinformation? What are the risks to freedom of expression that come with government intervention? A panel of experts discusses the measures taken so far in different parts of the world, with a special focus on the impact disinformation can have on elections.
Moderator: Nizar Saghieh, Executive Director, Legal Agenda
- Saloua Ghazouani Oueslati, Director MENA, Article 19, Tunisia
- Tony Mikhael, Lawyer, Maharat Foundation, Lebanon
- Mikko Salo, Founder Faktabaari (FactBar) and member of EU High-Level Expert Group on fake news and online disinformation, Finland
3:30 – 4:00 Coffee Break
4:00 – 5:00 Game: Let’s make fake news!
How easy is it to mislead the public? Could you make some fake news? Teams come up with an idea for some fake news and a strategy to make it go viral. Let’s see which team is the master of disinformation.
Moderator: Mohamed Najem, Digital Rights Activist and Co-Founder, Social Media Exchange (SMEX), Lebanon
Day 2, 25 April 2018
10:00 – 11:30 Panel: Countering fake news in the era of social media
Many people get their news fix from social media. Social media platforms generally don’t check information, however, before it is published. On top of this, social media companies can judge our preferences and feed us exactly the news we want to see – be it fake or real. Does social media have a major role to play in the fight against disinformation? And how can we strengthen the status of serious media in the face of this phenomenon?
Moderator: Dima Tarhini, Senior Anchor and Editor, DW Arabic, Germany
- Walid Al Saqaf, Senior Lecturer in Journalism & Media Technology, Södertörn University – Stockholm, Sweden/ Yemen
- Nadim Kobeissi, Cryptography researcher at the Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et Automatique (INRIA) in Paris, founder and director of Symbolic Software, Lebanon/ France
- Carole Kerbage, MENA DATA Desk Editor, Arab Reporters For Investigative Journalism, Lebanon/ Jordan
- Madonna Khafaja, Lead Program Manager in MENA, International Center for Journalists, Lebanon
11:30 – 12:00 Coffee Break
12:00 – 1:30 Discussion: A “post-truth” world?
Around the world, people in power seem to be less and less worried about the consequences of lying to the public. Have we now entered a “post-truth” world where facts don’t matter anymore? What are the implications if such a shift has really taken place?
Moderator: Martin Vogl, Program Manager, DW Akademie
- Wael Abdel-Fattah, Writer and Journalist, Founder, Medina, Egypt
- Rabie Barakat, Lecturer, Media Studies Program, AUB, Lebanon
- Hardy Prothmann, Editor in Chief, Rheinneckarblog, Germany
- Aaron Sharockman, Executive Director, PolitiFact, USA
- Ana Paula Valacco, Communications and Institutional Development, CHEQUEADO, Argentina
1:30 – 2:30 Lunch
2:30 – 3:30 Panel: Fake news in conflict zones
In the context of war, fake news or misinformation can lead to catastrophic consequences. How can we fact-check the accuracy of information in a conflict, and how can we mitigate against the risks in a field where ethics, professional requirements, scoops, and politics are all part of the mix? What is the “Truth” in a war? Is bias an inevitable evil?
Moderator: Layal Bahnan, Program Manager, Maharat Foundation
- Jean-Marc Mojon, Beirut Bureau Chief, Agence France Presse, Francce/ Lebanon
- Aliya Ibrahim, Co-Founder, Daraj, Lebanon
- Dima Nassif, Damascus Bureau Chief, Al-Mayadeen, Syria
- Hassan El-Haf, Beirut Bureau Chief, Al-Araby, Lebanon
- Nour Samaha, Freelance Journalist, Lebanon
3:30 – 4:30 Coffee and Networking Session
Some of our speakers make themselves available in an informal setting to chat and make contacts.
- Sylvie Coudray, Chief of Section for Freedom of Expression, UNESCO, France
- Nadim Kobeissi, Cryptography researcher at the Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et Automatique (INRIA) in Paris, founder and director of Symbolic Software, Lebanon
- Ahmad Harbia, Editor in Chief, Manshoor, Egypt
- Ranjan Roy, CEO, The Edge Group, USA
- Aaron Sharockman, Executive Director, PolitiFact, USA
- Walid Al Saqaf, Senior Lecturer in Journalism & Media Technology, Södertörn University – Stockholm, Sweden/ Yemen
7:00 Conference dinner in Loris Restaurant, Pasteur St (Ashrafieh-Beirut)
Day 3, 26 April 2018
10:00-10:30: Three short, high-impact presentations
- Louai Hazem, Content Manager, al-Hudood.net, Jordan
Why do people generally react to content on this satire website and sometimes share it as if it was real news?
- Hany Bahgat, Founder, Da Begad, Egypt
A presentation of the Da Begad fact-checking initiative which has more than one million followers on Facebook.
- Patricia Torres Burd, Vice President, UBC International Media Consulting, USA
Innovative examples about independent and entrepreneurial journalism and how they affect their community.
Introduction: Sanaa Al-Khoury, Independent Journalist, Lebanon
10:30 – 11:30 Panel: The challenges of journalism startups
We need more media institutions producing high-quality journalism, but the challenges for startups in the journalism sector remain immense. A selection of startups discuss their experiences and reflect on viable business models.
Moderator: Roula Mikhael, Executive Director, Maharat Foundation, Lebanon.
Roula Mikhael will also present the research that Maharat Foundation, supported by DW Akademie, are doing on the startup scene in Lebanon.
- Christian Gesellmann, Journalist, Krautreporter, Germany
- Walid Mejri, Founder, Inkyfada, Tunisia
- Ranjan Roy, CEO, The Edge Group, USA
- Omar Said, Mada Masr, Egypt
- Cristina Tardáguila, Director, Agência Lupa, Brazil
11:30 – 12:00 Coffee Break
12:00 – 1:00: The psychology of Fake news
Albert Mkheiber, Lebanese psychotherapist and researcher, talks about his initiative “Chiasma” that aims to help people understand why we only believe facts that suit our prior beliefs.
Introduction: Sanaa Al-Khoury, Independent Journalist, Lebanon
Albert Mkheiber, Neuroscientist, Psychotherapist, Researcher and Co-Founder, Chiasma, Lebanon
1:00 – 2:30 Lunch
2:30 – 3:30 Open debate: Is the public ready to pay for quality journalism?
Moderator: Dima Tarhini, Senior Anchor and Editor, DW Arabic, Germany
3:30 – 4:00 Final session: A special Interactive closing session
For more information about the speakers click here