Democratising the Internet

Democratising the Internet with Independent Media: The Need to Build New Spaces from Scratch Today’s digital landscape often feels dominated by gatekeepers—tech giants, algorithms, and monetised platforms that prioritise profits over people and verified information. This panel explores how these challenges are reshaping the way we consume and create information online. The need to understand the tech issues confronting media organisations—censorship, data centralisation, diminishing reach, and algorithmic bias—and ask how independent media can pioneer alternative spaces is pressing. What does it take to build a truly open and equitable digital ecosystem from scratch? How can technology, collaboration, and creativity empower media to thrive outside traditional platforms? It is about reclaiming the internet’s potential and charting a path forward for independent voices to work towards democratising the informative digital space. Powered by Krytyka Polyticzna and VD News With: Agustin Ferrari Braun (University of Amsterdam | NL) Paulina Januszewska (Krytyka Polyticzna | PL) Samuele Maccolini (VD News | IT) Moderation: Heritiana Ranaivoson (Vrije Universiteit Brussel | BE)