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Democratic Information Society

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Fietsers langs het IJsselmeer met op de achtergrond windmolens
Trust in science, the media and democracy is relatively high in the Netherlands compared to other countries. The high degree of digitalisation of our society brings with it opportunities to reinforce this trust. At the same time,targeted disinformation can fuel polarisation.
What responsibilities and opportunities do different groups of individuals, government, science and industry have for strengthening democracy in the information society?

On the one hand, digital media are a source of information, leaving scope for a wide range of opinions. For example within the public debate around the corona crisis or climate change. On the other hand, extreme opinions are more easily heard thanks to algorithms. The current societal challenges show how important it is for research institutes to contribute to a trusted stock of knowledge which is needed to improve policy. And for them to make use of the knowledge and judgement of citizens and civil society organisations in research into societal challenges.