The Commonwealth Centre for Connected Learning held an international conference ‘Post-truth Society: from Fake News, Datafication and Mass Surveillance to the Death of Trust’ in Valletta, Malta on 10-11 October, 2019.
The interdisciplinary conference started from the basic premise that truth does matter; and that norms associated with a democratic society, such as the common good, responsibility, ethics and civic engagement are under attack with the emergence of the Post-truth Society.
Its objective was to explore four inter-connected sectors – Technology, Media, Education and Government – and assess their roles both as solutions or contributors to the Post-truth society.
Speakers, panelists and delegates engaged with case studies and research, levering on their first-hand experiences to develop strategies and actions that might mitigate the consequences of the post-truth society. In the process, the conference took stock and unpacked myths and addressed the many contradictions associated with post-truths.
Speakers set the stage for focused breakout sessions and workshops and led discussions on specific subjects within the overriding themes. The programme was structured to ensure every opportunity for delegates to engage and have a voice in shaping the conference outcomes.
The conference addressed a set of critical questions, including:
Technology
Media
Education
Government
Conference participants were drawn from a diversity of sectors but who were connected in their search for responses to the post-truth world. It saw an interdisciplinary gathering of policy makers, technologists, media educators, the open education community, media specialists, businesses, researchers, activists and students.