Fostering Democratic Resilience in the Digital Age

Facing up to the Infodemic: Promoting a Fact- Based Public Discourse in Times of Crisis

The objective of the project “Fostering Democratic Resilience in the Digital Age” is to promote dialogue, exchange of knowledge and collaboration between researchers and practitioners from Israel and Germany to enhance democratic resilience in the context of the changing media and information landscape in the digital age. Against the backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic, this paper series explores some of the key challenges facing democratic societies as a result of misinformation in the digital public sphere. It features a unique mosaic of perspectives and insights from German and Israeli experts that shed light on different facets of the phenomenon of online misinformation, with the aim of invigorating a societal debate as well as offering concrete ideas about how to address it.

Recent publications

Human Cognition and Online Behavior During the First Social Media Pandemic

Policy Paper

The Covid-19 pandemic has flooded global information platforms with an unprecedented amount of information. How can we increase resilience to misinformation and manipulation in response to crises, and the flood of information they engender?

By Dr. Philipp Lorenz-Spreen

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Fostering Israel’s Democratic Resilience in the Digital Age

Policy Paper

Disinformation has become a widespread phenomenon in recent years, reaching a peak in attention during the COVID-19 pandemic. Which protective mechanisms against the viral spread of misinformation are needed in Israel and around the world?

By Noa Barak

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Telling Facts from Fakes

Policy Paper

Israel is famous for scientific research and technological innovation. However, when it comes to science communications, Israel is behind other countries. The COVID-19 pandemic additionally exposed a confidence crisis between the public and the scientific community. How can we bolster public trust in science and effectively battle the infodemic?

By Dr. Erez S. Garty

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Disrupted Democracies

Policy Paper

The use of disinformation to influence citizens in key moments such as elections has shed light on the challenges new technologies pose to democracies. How can a multi-stakeholder approach effectively face this problem and consolidate democratic foundations?

By Rafael Goldzweig

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Battling Misinformation with Science

Policy Paper

Misinformation and conspiracy myths pose a huge challenge to science communication as well as to an effective tackling of a global health crisis. This paper takes a closer look at the German response to the pandemic with a focus on trust in science, government’s measures and the spread of conspiracy myths.

By Markus Weißkopf and Rebecca Winkels

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Trust, Democratic Resilience, and the Infodemic

Policy Paper

By focusing on the nexus between trust and mis- and disinformation this policy paper reveals the effects of trust reduction in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. How can societal resilience to mis- and disinformation be promoted and trust in democratic institutions reinforced?

By Edda Humprecht

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Invisible Surveillance, Indifferent Publics

Research Paper

Contact tracing technologies against Covid-19 – analysis of privacy perceptions related to two technologies used in Israel and recommendations for the future

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Eroding Trust

Research Paper

Contract tracing technologies – helpful tools for combatting COVID-19 or serious threats to privacy? An analysis of two contact tracing technologies in Israel

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The German Corona-App: Expectations, Debates and Results

Research Paper

The German Corona Warning app - a success story or not worth its costs? Insights into the app and the debate surrounding it.

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