In a digital world that has both extended and constrained our liberty, democratic freedom now also demands: elections free from foreign interference; citizens free from online harms and subtle manipulation; researchers free to examine power without fear of persecution; speech free from opaque algorithmic bias; politicians free to hold corporations to account; and all of democratic society free to consume and contest ideas based on factually accurate information.
The Media Ecosystem Observatory and Canadian Digital Media Research Network hosted the 2025 conference Attention: Freedom, Interrupted in collaboration with the Max Bell School. The two-day conference gathered a diverse group of scholars, policymakers, and journalists to confront the threats posed to democracy by technological disruption, economic uncertainty, and rising authoritarianism.
Organized as part of the Slater Family Canada-US Policy Series, the event explored contemporary threats facing democracies worldwide, including foreign interference in elections, disinformation, and economic inequality. Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz’s keynote address offered an important assessment of U.S. President Donald Trump’s economic impacts and their implications for democratic governance.
A broader crisis of information integrity
Stiglitz’s concerns were shared with the other speakers. Panels examined the fragmentation of the media ecosystem and the digital threats to electoral integrity in 2024, a year when over 70 countries went to the polls.
Sessions led by researchers from the Media Ecosystem Observatory, the Digital Forensic Research Lab, and the Forum on Information and Democracy explored how foreign interference, information manipulation, changing dynamics in the information ecosystem and synthetic media have challenged democratic participation. Speakers detailed the challenges of navigating online ecosystems increasingly manipulated by biased algorithms and the platforms’ lack of transparency and data access and their moderation policies.
Fighting for transparency and platform accountability
Perhaps most urgently, the conference underscored the rising difficulty researchers face in accessing data from social media platforms. In a discussion on challenges to understanding the online ecosystem, digital policy experts described the consequences of platforms like X and Reddit restricting access to critical data.
In a keynote address on Platform Accountability and Transparency, Professor Ethan Zuckerman stressed the importance of independent studies that do not rely on platform approval. Without it, he warned, efforts to counter online manipulation and misinformation are compromised.
The importance of journalism
Speakers repeatedly emphasized the importance of treating journalism not as a private commodity, but as a public good essential to democracy. They additionally discussed the importance of public funding for journalism, stronger platform regulation, and new models of democratic accountability.
A panel on Responsible Reporting on Foreign Interference moderated by Anya Schiffrin of Columbia University highlighted the increasingly dangerous role of investigative journalism. Panelists discussed navigating personal threats, lawsuits, and disinformation campaigns designed to intimidate reporters.
Looking forward
From the rise of authoritarian tactics within democratic systems to the unchecked power of tech giants, the conference painted a stark picture. The challenges facing democracy today are multifaceted, compromising technological, economic, and political integrity. Although these challenges are daunting, it is more important than ever to foster collaborative, transnational conversations such as those had during Attention: Freedom, Interrupted to adequately respond to democratic threats.
