The Nordic countries consistently rank among the top performers in the Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index. Yet even in this high-trust region, freedom of expression and media diversity are increasingly under pressure.
In the Nordics, the challenges are less about government interference and more about technological disruption: platform economies, algorithmic distribution, disinformation, and shifting user behaviour. Social media and Big Tech shape what we see – while AI is transforming how content is created, distributed, and consumed.
AI plays an ambivalent role: it enables efficiency and innovation in journalism, but also fuels the rapid spread of low-quality content and »AI slop.« In an already saturated information space, trust is becoming the most valuable – and fragile – resource.
The Nordic countries are among the early adopters in the field of journalism & new media. Companies, publishing houses, and journalistic institutions (for example in Oslo and Aarhus) are at the forefront of advancing better journalism – the very foundation of our democracies.
During the re:publica festival for the digital society, the Nordic Embassies in Berlin invite you to a Nordic Night bringing together voices from media, academia, and tech to share insights, warnings, and lessons learned.
Key questions
- How can media diversity be sustained in the age of Big Tech?
- How can trust in journalism be strengthened?
- How can we counter disinformation in an already overloaded information ecosystem?
Program
We are currently finalizing the program. Please find the latest confirmed speakers and participants below. Further updates will follow shortly.
Keynote
Bernhard Pörksen, Professor of Media Studies, University Tübingen
Panel
- Karen Rønde (DK), CEO, Danish Publisher Organization; leading figure in European networks on media rights
- Bente Kalsnes (NO), Professor of Communication, Kristiania University College, author of »Fake News: Lies, Disinformation and Propaganda in the Digital Public«; member of the Freedom of Expression Commission, & the Nordic Think Tank for Democracy and Technology
- Carl-Gustav Lindén (FI), Professor of Data Journalism, University of Bergen & affiliated lecturer at the University of Helsinki
- Judith Möller (DE), Scientific Director of Leibniz Institute for Media, Professor of Empirical Communication Research at University Hamburg
A reception will follow the discussion.