The inclusion rebellion: Winning the communication battle

Time

13:30 - 15:00 UTC

About

Many feared the global pandemic had plagued the world with an infodemic. Social media was seen as a breeding ground for misinformation, with the rapid spread of fake news and harmful myths challenging the public health response. Meanwhile, traditional media seemingly made a comeback as a bastion of high quality, and trustworthy information. This was the new communication reality for any humanitarian response seeking to build trust with people in the midst of crisis.

Then came another shift in communication perception with the ongoing Ukraine-Russia information war. We have witnessed the trend being turned on its head, with fact checking on social media stirring a rebellion against misinformation and broadcast media instead becoming the conduit for mis- and disinformation. Technologies change but power dynamics remain. As the invasion unfolds online like no other war to date, it urges us to reassess what we think we know about the humanitarian communication landscape. We must challenge our assumptions on how misinformation proliferates and look beyond the broad processes to how people form and change opinions at the individual level. It is vital that we re-examine the enormous threats of misunderstanding the digital realm and the weaponisation of information.

Together with our panelists, CDAC Network will unpack the misinformation behemoth and explore the move away from a “one size fits all” response to the info-crisis, in favour of solutions that are inclusive and tailored. The session will draw from topical case studies on communications and community engagement landscape and hear from diverse and multi-sectoral voices.

Speakers

Moderated by: Loretta Hieber-Girardet, Chief, Supporting and Monitoring Sendai Framework Implementation Branch, United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction

Dylan Winder, Senior Adviser, Humanitarian and Protracted Crises Counsellor, UK Mission to the UN (Geneva), Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Dr. Wunpini F. Mohammed, Assistant Professor, College of Journalism & Mass Communication, University of Georgia

Sudhanshu Shekar Singh, Founder & CEO, HAI India

Jessica Alexander, Policy Editor, The New Humanitarian