In light of recent political events, digital media has come under scrutiny, particularly for the role it now plays in the consumption of news.

In today’s online world, social and digital media give people the autonomy to choose what they see and where their information comes from, with the ability to ‘like’ favourite outlets and block others, so that increasingly a person’s news feed may only feature opinions with which they already agree. Additionally, advertisers can now use the web to promote perfectly tailored content, creating a media bubble that is often further removed from the outside world than we realise.

Whilst, on the one hand, this can save users from being offended, confronted with opinions they do not share or advertisements that hold no relevance for them, on the other, it also leaves them in danger of only ever hearing one side of the story.

Join Jennifer Jackson-Preece and Jared Shurin with event chair Colin Philpott, as they examine just how polarised the digital space has become and discuss how we can break out of our info-bubbles and back into the ‘real’ world.

About The Speakers

Jared Shurin

Jared Shurin is the editor of The Outcast Hours, The Djinn Falls in Love, The Lowest Heaven and many other books, including the annual Best of British Fantasy series.

Jennifer Jackson Preece

Jennifer Jackson Preece is a Lecturer on Nationalism in Europe at the European Institute, London School of Economics and Political Science.

About The Chair

Colin Philpott

Colin Philpott is a writer, producer and presenter. He is a former Director of the National Media Museum and BBC programme-maker, and ran the lobbying group Bradford Breakthrough until 2015.