“It is quite profound to see how powerful the media is. The media is one of the most powerful tools. It controls what we buy, it controls what we eat, it controls how we relate with humans, it controls how we respond to behaviors and patterns. That is why I think that the work we are doing, all of us here, is very much critical and needs to be taken seriously.”
These powerful words from Mercy Abang, Co-Managing Director at Hostwriter, set the stage for an inspiring two-day event: the Display Europe City Session in Berlin. Hosted in partnership with CMFE – Community Media Forum Europe, the event brought together media professionals, journalists, and technology experts to tackle one of the most pressing issues of our time: bias in the media and the role of AI.
Through deep discussions, skill-sharing, and hands-on sessions, participants explored how technology—particularly artificial intelligence—shapes stories, amplifies biases, and influences public perception.
At Hostwriter, we believe in the transformative power of collaborative journalism. By connecting professionals across borders, we aim to challenge power dynamics and foster impactful storytelling that truly represents the communities at the heart of every story.
The event zeroed in on the intersection of AI and community media. Mercy Abang set the tone by asking what is bias in the media and how is it perpetuated? What is the role of big tech companies in perpetuating these biases through algorithms and what is the role of the media as AI now enters global media conversation.
With valuable insights from investigative journalist Andrei Petre and technology expert Safa Ghnaim (Tactical Tech), participants dove into thought-provoking questions:
- What does bias in the media look like in the digital age?
- How are algorithms and big tech interests perpetuating it?
- And most importantly, what can we do to hold ourselves—and our systems—accountable?
Andrei Petre challenged journalists to rethink social media’s role in shaping public opinion, citing the fascinating case of ´ghost candidate` Georgescu in Romanian elections – who targeted voters online without appearing in public – Andrei walked the room through investigative strategies on social media and uncovering hidden narratives.
Safa Ghnaim from Tactical Tech unpacked the many faces of AI; from its ability to supercharge false contents and political campaigns to its role in perpetuating harmful stereotypes and enabling online harassment. Safa illuminated AI’s impact on storytelling, urging us to consider where technology serves us – and where it betrays us.
To tie it all together, the participants created three podcast sessions exploring some tough but essential questions.
- Should we boycott AI?
- Limits of regulation
- AI for good community media use
The energy in the room was palpable. Curiosity sparked bold ideas and participants shared insights an networked. These conversations don’t stop here—we’ll be sharing the podcast sessions soon to keep the dialogue alive!
The Display City Session event series is part of the Display Europe initiative – a media project and platform syndicating relevant European content across 15 languages. This event aims to increase the capacity of the European Public space and is the second in a series of four in-person events across Europe where we put the spotlight on different narratives in the European media and exchange skills and knowledge.
Before meeting in Berlin this time around, we got to meet our partners from the ReFOCUS Media Labs in Athens to discuss pressing issues like Tourism, Housing, and Migration. The Athens podcast will be available January 9, 2025. Stay tuned!
If you are interested in joining us for our next two sessions, follow us on social media to stay up to date:
Hostwriter: instagram, LinkedIn, X
Display Europe: instagram, LinkedIn
The upcoming Display City Session will be in Lisbon, Portugal, March 24-27, 2025. We will focus on climate change and local communities. Details will be announced at the beginning of the next year.
Until then, enjoy the holidays and before the year ends, consider supporting our work so we can continue to create spaces that enable impactful discussions and encourage equitable quality journalism.
