In 2024, pivotal elections will be held around the world – European Parliament, UK, India, South Africa, Mexico, Belgium, and, of course, the US – and the stakes could not be higher. The results have the potential to radically reshape international politics. This fall, three important state elections will also take place in Germany that could have a major impact on its political landscape. In all these contests, campaigning will take place in a bitterly disputed and rapidly evolving information space.
At this event, we will talk about how to approach communications in this global year of elections in terms of both opportunities to be seized and dangers to be avoided. What is the role of think tanks and policy researchers in informing public discourse and countering disinformation as the politicians battle it out? How can we influence which issues are seen as most important? How can we use evidence to effectively counter disinformation, and how can we ensure that expert voices are heard in the battle for media coverage? Is it even possible to reach those whose views are shaped by narratives different from our own, and what role does AI play in all of this?
Our conversation will be kickstarted by two experts in this field. Katja Muñoz is a research fellow at DGAP’s Center for Geopolitics, Geoeconomics, and Technology and an expert on the impacts of AI on global electoral processes. Jannik Jansen is a policy fellow for social cohesion and just transition at the Jacques Delors Centre.
Coffee, croissants, and comms – what could be a better start to your morning?
Speakers:
Katja Muñoz Research Fellow, Center for Geopolitics, Geoeconomics, and Technology, German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP)
Jannik Jansen Policy Fellow for Social Cohesion and Just Transition, Jacques Delors Centre
Moderator:
Wiebke Ewering Head of Communications, German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP)
PS: Wonkcomms is currently conducting a global survey to find out how think tanks are adopting AI. To have your say, please complete this survey before 12:00 (GMT) on April 19.
Please register for the meeting here. And please forward this invitation to any friends and colleagues you think might be interested. As spaces are limited, registrations will be considered on a first come, first serve basis. So, if you can’t come for any reason, please let us know asap so that we can offer the space to someone else.
If you cannot join us for this session, don’t worry, there will be further WonkComms Breakfast Clubs hosted at other Berlin think tanks later in 2024. Please follow WonkComms on Twitter and Think Tank Lab on LinkedIn for further announcements. In the meantime, please feel free to get in touch to offer suggestions for future topics and speakers.
For any questions, please contact Rachel Buntrock (rachel.buntrock@desingbysoapbox.com) or the Think Tank Lab team (hello@thinktanklab.org).
We look forward to seeing you soon!
About WonkComms Breakfast Clubs: WonkComms is a global network of think tank communications professionals who share ideas and best practices. Our first event was in the UK in 2013 and we have since expanded our activities to the US, Latin America, Spain, and Germany. We organize informal events on subjects that are of practical interest to our community. You can find us on Twitter and LinkedIn. The WonkComms Breakfast Club series in Berlin is organized by Soapbox and the Think Tank Lab.