Last Friday, a panel discussion titled “Facts Over Fiction – Fighting Disinformation Together” took place at Studio 14 of Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg. The event, broadcast live on rbb24 and available in the ARD Mediathek, addressed one of the greatest challenges of today’s information society: the spread of disinformation and ways to combat it.
A Discussion with Experts
Moderated by Jörg Thadeusz, the panel featured Alexandra Geese, Jörg Müller, Patrick Stegemann, Moritz Demmig, Dr. David Biesinger, and Vera Schmitt, who discussed the impact and mechanisms of disinformation in digital media.
The discussion focused on key questions such as:
- What strategies do disinformation networks use to spread false narratives?
- What role does artificial intelligence play in both the spread and counteraction of fake news?
- What responsibilities do media, tech platforms, and policymakers have?
- How can media literacy be strengthened to build a more resilient democracy?
Moritz Demmig presented various deepfake examples, illustrating the increasing sophistication of manipulated content. The panel also introduced the AI-assisted analysis system currently being developed as part of the joint News-Polygraph project. Funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, this initiative aims to detect disinformation using a combination of artificial intelligence and human analysis.
Challenges for Journalism
Dr. David Biesinger, editor-in-chief of rbb, also spoke about current challenges in investigative journalism and highlighted specific cases, including reporting on Stefan Gelbhaar. The discussion underscored the ongoing need for established media to continuously refine their verification methods.
Towards a Fact-Based Democracy
Beyond the technical aspects of analyzing disinformation, the discussion also addressed the societal dimension. It explored Immanuel Kant’s concept of “self-imposed immaturity”: Do people still have the motivation to seek enlightenment through facts, or have deepfakes and generative AI become so convincing that critical thinking is reaching its limits?
These and other questions were debated live on rbb24, and the recording remains available in the ARD Mediathek. Those interested can watch the full discussion here: Link to ARD Mediathek.
News-Polygraph remains committed to taking a firm stand against disinformation and strengthening a fact-based democracy. The panel discussion was an important step in raising awareness and working together towards viable solutions.
