Technology, Media & Democracy: Who counts?

This spring, five New York City graduate programs ran a course in partnership aimed at addressing the key challenges of our information ecosystem. How does the information ecosystem contribute to the health of representative democracies such as the United States? How do we move towards communities that are equipped with the knowledge and deliberation mechanisms required to address the challenges that face us? How does the relationship between technology platforms, media, governments and citizens determine which voices get heard?

This unique, first-of-its kind program and collaboration brings together Cornell Tech, Columbia University, The Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY, New York University, and The New School -- in partnership with NYC Media Lab. The effort gathered graduate students with backgrounds and expertise in journalism, design, and engineering/technology from these institutions. At this event, students will present final course projects, touching on some of the course’s main themes:

• New investigative tools to build our understanding of technology, media and social issues;
• The current structures, mechanisms and designs of our information ecosystem platforms and their impact on informed society outcomes;
• How media, propaganda and misinformation impact knowledge and participation in the functions of democracy;
• How the voices of vulnerable populations of people -- such as minorities, immigrants and the poor-- fare in our information and media landscape;

The decline of local journalism, its effect on the health of communities and what can be done to repair it.