Session
Organizer 1: Civil Society, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Organizer 2: Civil Society, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Organizer 2: Civil Society, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Speaker 1: Mira Milosevic, Civil Society, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Speaker 2: Julia Haas, Intergovernmental Organization, Intergovernmental Organization
Speaker 3: Kostic Bojana, Civil Society, Eastern European Group
Speaker 2: Julia Haas, Intergovernmental Organization, Intergovernmental Organization
Speaker 3: Kostic Bojana, Civil Society, Eastern European Group
Format
Roundtable
Duration (minutes): 90
Format description: This session will take the form of an interactive panel discussion designed to maximise audience participation and collective reflection. Following brief opening remarks and a focused panel discussion featuring diverse multistakeholder perspectives shared by the speakers, the session will invite audience members to actively engage in the conversation using the roundtable format to allow them to join the discussion to share insights or pose questions. For that reason, and to set aside at least 45 minutes for a meaningful discussion, the roundtable format will allow an intial presentation of the topic for 30 minutes, a 45 discussion and 15 minutes to wrap up the consversation. The session will close with a collective synthesis of the discussion’s key takeaways, ensuring that the insights generated contribute meaningfully to the WSIS+20 review process.
Duration (minutes): 90
Format description: This session will take the form of an interactive panel discussion designed to maximise audience participation and collective reflection. Following brief opening remarks and a focused panel discussion featuring diverse multistakeholder perspectives shared by the speakers, the session will invite audience members to actively engage in the conversation using the roundtable format to allow them to join the discussion to share insights or pose questions. For that reason, and to set aside at least 45 minutes for a meaningful discussion, the roundtable format will allow an intial presentation of the topic for 30 minutes, a 45 discussion and 15 minutes to wrap up the consversation. The session will close with a collective synthesis of the discussion’s key takeaways, ensuring that the insights generated contribute meaningfully to the WSIS+20 review process.
Policy Question(s)
A. How can accessible, affordable, and equitable digital public infrastructure strengthen media sustainability and protect the public interest in the face of market-driven pressures?
B. What role should multistakeholder governance play in shaping digital ecosystems that support media freedom and information integrity?
C. How can the WSIS+20 review process address the evolving challenges of surveillance capitalism, algorithmic governance, and declining trust in media?
What will participants gain from attending this session? Participants and attendees of this session can expect to gain new knowledge on the intersection of digital public infrastructure and media sustainability. Through interactive engagement, they will develop a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities in addressing market-driven threats to media, such as surveillance capitalism and algorithmic governance. The session will also provide practical insights and tools for shaping equitable and inclusive digital ecosystems, empowering participants to contribute more effectively to the WSIS+20 review process and broader global discussions on media freedom and democracy.
Description:
Media and journalism have always navigated the tension between free market forces and the public interest. Over the past two decades, the WSIS and the Internet Governance Process have played a pivotal role in strengthening media and journalism as cornerstones of democracy and the information society. This multistakeholder conversation offers an opportunity to reflect on the key achievements of the WSIS in the context of media and information ecosystems, while recognising the critical need to design digital public infrastructure. Can the development of accessible, affordable, and equitable digital public infrastructure address the market forces threatening the media—such as surveillance capitalism, opaque algorithmic governance systems, declining advertising revenues, and ultimately, the erosion of trust in media? By exploring these intersections, this conversation aims to generate shared insights and trends that will further shape and inform the WSIS+20 Review Process.
Media and journalism have always navigated the tension between free market forces and the public interest. Over the past two decades, the WSIS and the Internet Governance Process have played a pivotal role in strengthening media and journalism as cornerstones of democracy and the information society. This multistakeholder conversation offers an opportunity to reflect on the key achievements of the WSIS in the context of media and information ecosystems, while recognising the critical need to design digital public infrastructure. Can the development of accessible, affordable, and equitable digital public infrastructure address the market forces threatening the media—such as surveillance capitalism, opaque algorithmic governance systems, declining advertising revenues, and ultimately, the erosion of trust in media? By exploring these intersections, this conversation aims to generate shared insights and trends that will further shape and inform the WSIS+20 Review Process.
Expected Outcomes
1. A set of concrete policy recommendations and insights to inform the WSIS+20 review process and related global discussions on media sustainability and digital public infrastructure that will be presented in the potential follow-up session during WSIS+20 High Level Event in July 2025.
2. Strengthened multistakeholder collaboration through the exchange of diverse perspectives and collective reflection on key challenges and opportunities.
3. Exploration of opportunities for future events or collaborative initiatives focused on advancing media freedom, information integrity, and equitable digital ecosystems.
Hybrid Format: The on-site moderator will coordinate with the remote-moderator to ensure that anyone not present in the room is also given a chance to participate.
The roundtable discussion will ensure hybrid interactivity by allocating dedicated time to field and answer questions from both in-person and online attendees through the platform’s chat feature as well as hearing from participants throughout the session.
A collaborative live document will be created for the session to collect inputs, resources and questions from the attendees.