UNDERSTANDING MEDIA: Radical Shifts in the Information Ecosystem

In a world shaped by rapid technological change, global power shifts, and growing threats to democracy, the role of media is central. Media not only inform—they can manipulate, polarize, and divide or unite societies. At a time when information floods the world, influencing billions of people and reaching every corner of the globe, understanding the forces behind it is more urgent than ever.

Media have the power to suppress or liberate, to promote or hinder societal change. That’s why we are convinced: Every student, regardless of their field of study, should engage with the key questions of how media shape our individual and collective consciousness, thinking, and actions—and who holds this immense power.

In our hybrid and highly interactive format, you will collaborate with students from other European universities to address critical media challenges: Who controls the media you use daily? How do these influences shape the information you receive about the world? How do media shape political movements and election outcomes? How are new technologies and artificial intelligence transforming our media systems? How independent are media today? Is freedom of expression under threat—and how can we protect it? And how can trust in media be restored?

This seminar gives you the chance to engage directly with international media experts, who will join us for each session to explore pressing issues:

- Rasmus Kleis Nielsen, Professor at Copenhagen University and former Director of the Oxford Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, Oxford University

- Charlie Beckett, Director of LSE Polis Global JournalismAI Initiative, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)

•  Renate Schröder, Director of the European Federation of Journalists in Brussels

•  Marius Dragomir, Director of the Media and Journalism Research Center (MJRC)

•  Lars Boering, Director of the European Journalism Centre and former Director of the World Press Photo Award

•  Sarah Shirazyan, Director, Head of GenAI Product Policy at META

•  Jacob Mchangama, Founder and Executive Director of The Future of Free Speech and Senior Fellow at The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE)

…and many other leading voices in the field.

No matter your field of study, this seminar will open your eyes to the invisible structures and forces shaping what you read, see, and believe—insights that will serve you well beyond your university years.