Are we Living in a Post-Truth World?

On Tuesday, Feb 24, Model European Union Blagoevgrad hosted a highly relevant discussion panel - Brussels vs the Algorithm: Who Shapes Public Opinion in Europe. 

 

The event brought together two well-known speakers. Ivan Georgiev - an investigative reporter, documentary filmmaker, and news anchor at bTV, and Mimi Shishkova - a lawyer, publisher, and renowned advocate for democratic values. Together, they highlighted the importance of truth in an age of social media algorithms, causing deep divisions.

“Truth - The Glue That Keeps us Together”

Ivan Georgiev opened with a retrospective look at the media landscape - in his eyes, 20 years ago, the flow of information was more linear than today. Journalists played the role of gatekeepers, deciding which stories warranted public attention. 

 

Now, with the rising power of social media algorithms, this role of journalism has been eroded. Journalists are no longer the gatekeepers of information. This responsibility has shifted to private interest. Their algorithms are designed to keep users scrolling through ragebait, and often at the expense of journalistic principles. 

 

Georgiev argued that this erosion of trust in institutions poses an especially dangerous threat to national security - especially in the face of actors like Russia. “We are at war,” he said, referring to Russia’s disinformation campaigns. “We are at the frontlines, here in Bulgaria.”

 

Yet, the journalist ended his talk on a positive note with the hope that truth in North Macedonia can be regained. “At one point fake news stops working,” he says, “but it is up to us to be the watchdogs.” 

 

“Information is a weapon. And you should use it wisely,” Georgiev concluded.

 

The Threat of Pipelines

The panel discussion switched to Mimi Shishkova and her talk on pipelines and how they can radicalize people.

 

She highlighted that our phones do more than just allow us to sit back and enjoy content. They watch right back. 

 

”It is a black box,” she said. Once you start scrolling, the algorithm can determine if a user is susceptible to far-left or far-right ideologies based on their subconscious eye movements. “It [the algorithm] may know us better than even ourselves.”

 

The way the algorithm is optimized is to work through pipelines - seemingly innocent lifestyle advice and trends at first, that quickly grab users’ attention for extended periods of time. Before even noticing it, these pipelines wrap foreign political values on people. 

 

“The task that we’re facing is for us to find the political center[…],” Shishkova said. In order to keep our sanity, she suggests that before diving into mindless binges on social media, we must have a strong set of values. Or else, someone will make those values for you.

“You should have ownership of the future you want to live in,” she concluded.  

 

The talk transitioned into an open floor and a few rounds of questions. 

 

Aftermath

“Keep your values yours,” said junior student Nadezhda Miteva, Vice-President of MEU. She said the discussion cemented her view on the importance of conducting your own research before taking others’ ideas for granted. 

 

After the talk, the speakers stayed behind briefly to engage in a discussion. During this time, Shishkova said, “We feed the algorithm, but the algorithm determines where we go.” Content indeed does not exist in a vacuum.

 

Despite this sobering reality, Shishkova urges users to make the best of their internet experience. “Ride the algorithm, don’t let the algorithm ride you.”

Edited by: Hary Dikov & Bilyana Spasova

 

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