How dangerous are disinformation campaigns? Prof. Dr. Matthias Kettemann, a legal expert, questions the often-invoked link between misinformation and the “threat to democracy”. In an interview with Anna Henschel on the portal Wissenschaftskommunikation.de, he refers to findings he recently published in the volume “Information Ecosystems and Troubled Democracy: A Global Synthesis of the State of Knowledge on New Media, AI and Data Governance”.
To the interview “Wir müssen nicht den Abgesang auf die Demokratie anstimmen“ [We do not have to sound the death knell for democracy]
Abstract from the Interview
Kettemann: “Democracy is resilient. We don’t have to sound the death knell for democracy when we look at the fundamental changes of the last 20 years brought about by the digital transformation. Communication cultures and structures have changed – and yet opinion-forming works by and large.
However, if we judge this change negatively, saying, “This is the end of democracy,” then that is value-driven. But one should not act as if it were indisputable that democracy is in crisis.
It is always important to monitor the right and left fringes. It is always important to support civil society engagement. It is always important to stand up for the law – especially in online spaces. So it makes perfect sense to take a critical look at newer trends in the development of democracy. But you should neither be afraid nor complacent.”