Governing trust in a digital platform society | José van Dijck | PeriTiA Inaugural Symposium

Trust in democratic institutions is increasingly being challenged by online disinformation and influential social media platforms.

And while many are quick to blame the proliferation of fake news for the trend, Professor José van Dijck of Utrecht University believes there are bigger forces at play.

In her keynote lecture ‘Governing trust in a digital platform society’ at the inaugural symposium for PeriTiA (Policy, Expertise and Trust in Action) – a new University College Dublin led Horizon 2020 project addressing trustworthiness of scientific expertise – the prolific author says the four 'Pillars of trust' that underpin modern democratic societies have been eroded in the media by economic difficulties.

The shift towards “free news” has meant inevitable cuts in journalism and a rush away from the old values of integrity, transparency, independence and accountability.

Professor van Dijck argues for a new model of rules and standards to redress the tensions between the (unruly) practices of online platforms and the (ruled) practices of media and science.

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Funded for three years by the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 programme, PeriTiA will explore the conditions under which people trust expert opinion that shapes public policy.

Begun in February 2020, the project will bring together over 20 philosophers, social and natural scientists, policy experts, ethicists, psychologists, media specialists and civil society organisations to study trust in and the trustworthiness of policy related expert opinion.

PEriTiA Inaugural Symposium “Trust in a Changing World” took place March 2, 2020 in Newman House, University College Dublin

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