Professor Pier Luigi Parcu, Director of the Centre for Media Pluralism and Media Freedom at the Robert Schuman Centre, has been appointed to the Steering Committee of The International Observatory on Information and Democracy (OID).
The International Observatory on Information and Democracy is a global initiative with the aim of aggregating and synthesising existing research to provide policymakers with a comprehensive report on the information ecosystem. This is done by selecting initial priority themes, guiding working groups and upholding rigorous scientific standards.
Unveiled on 15 September, marking the symbolic occasion of the International Day for Democracy, its Steering Committee is comprised of 19 leaders from various domains, including policy, academia, and research.
The group of experts was selected following a global call for nominations that returned over 100 applications from all over the world, and represents diverse geographies and wide-ranging disciplines such as political science, ethics, journalism, engineering, anthropology, economics and data science.
Commenting on his appointment, Professor Parcu stated: “In this era of rapid technological advancement, understanding the intricate information ecosystem and its interplay with democracy is paramount. I look forward to contributing my expertise to the Steering Committee of the International Observatory on Information and Democracy, working alongside distinguished scholars to inform evidence-based policy decisions that may contribute to shape our democratic future.”
Before this appointment, Professor Parcu the Steering Committee of the Working Group on Pluralism of Information in Curation and Indexation Algorithms, which issued a series of recommendations on the pluralism of curation and indexing algorithms.
The Steering Committee’s first report is set to be published within the next twelve months.