Public online panel moderated by DPIR’s Scott Williamson to focus on how the media is attacked during episodes of ‘democratic backsliding’
A global group of leading political scientists will bring their research into the public arena to highlight how attacks on the media are fuelling democratic decline.
The Democracy and Autocracy Section of the American Political Science Association — the world’s largest network of experts studying authoritarianism and democratic backsliding, with more than 1,000 scholars worldwide — will host a public online panel discussing how political leaders undermine the press to tighten their grip on power.
Democratic backsliding occurs when a country’s political leaders attack democratic institutions from within to entrench their own power.
The event, organised in conjunction with the Authoritarian Political Systems Group, will unpack how elected leaders do this, often while claiming to defend democracy itself. A central focus is the systematic targeting of the free press — from delegitimising critical reporting to restricting access to information — tactics that limit public scrutiny and consolidate political power.
The event will be held online from 5.30-6.30pm UK time on Thursday, 9 April and registration is ideally required in advance. On the panel of speakers are Anya Schiffrin (Columbia), Bardia Rahmani (Harvard), Erin Baggott Carter (University of Southern California and Hoover) and Linette Lim (University College Dublin)
Register now for the event.
Organisers say the panel is aimed beyond academic audiences, targeting journalists, policymakers and the wider public. The goal is to equip attendees with the tools to understand how such attacks unfold in real time, why they are often effective, and how they can be countered successfully.
Event participants can expect discussion of high-profile contemporary cases, including mounting concerns over media pressures in the US under the second Trump administration, alongside broader global trends related to media restrictions under authoritarian entrenchment and democratic backsliding.
Scott Williamson, DPIR’s Associate Professor in Comparative Political Economy, chair of APSA's Democracy and Autocracy Section and event moderator said: “For several years now, democratic backsliding has been occurring in more and more countries, including several influential democracies like the United States.
“Political leaders engaged in democratic backsliding often go to great lengths to frame their actions as consistent with democracy, and it can be difficult for the public to identify the danger before significant damage to democracy occurs.
“As a result, it is important for political scientists who study this topic to talk publicly about ongoing cases of democratic backsliding and to draw attention to lessons learned.”
