Navigating the Flow of Information in the Age of Distrust

Navigating the Flow of Information in the Age of Distrust

Humans depend in fundamental ways on information received from others. Language and other forms of communication enable the transmission of knowledge about the physical, social, and cultural world, both within and across generations. However, information flows are never risk-free: neither producers nor recipients of information are perfectly reliable, and their behavior is not always fully cooperative. These challenges have become particularly salient in contemporary societies shaped by new media, digital technologies, and evolving strategies for the production and dissemination of information and disinformation. In contexts where communication is affected by these phenomena, the cultivation of epistemic vigilance and corresponding forms of regulation at both individual and collective levels becomes increasingly important. Research in the cognitive sciences over the past two decades has investigated the psychological and communicative mechanisms involved in evaluating the epistemic quality of information (e.g., reliability, evidential support, coherence, and relevance), as well as the conditions under which these mechanisms fail. At the same time, the efficiency of widely discussed strategies such as fact-checking, interventions aimed at improving critical thinking, and various forms of content regulation seem limited, sometimes even contributing to further polarization. This suggests that the dynamics of disinformation cannot be fully explained in terms of evidence or the correctness of epistemic procedures alone. Affective and social dimensions of communication also play a crucial role. For instance, the persuasive power of political narratives, the formation and maintenance of individual and collective identities, and the dynamics of trust all significantly shape how information is produced, shared, and received. In addition, the algorithmic infrastructures of contemporary media environments can reinforce existing attitudes and beliefs, for example through the formation of echo chambers and filter bubbles.

These considerations open up a broad space for critical meta-analysis of existing research, as well as for innovative approaches that integrate conceptual inquiry with empirically grounded methods. The conference focuses on information flows in relation to phenomena that distort them, including disinformation (false or misleading information shared with the intent to deceive), misinformation (false or misleading information shared without such intent), communication noise, conspiracy thinking, manipulation, and polarization. Its aim is to bring together theoretical and conceptual analyses of these phenomena with the latest empirical research, while also offering a critical assessment of existing scholarship, in which many methodological, conceptual, and empirical questions remain open. We welcome both theoretically oriented contributions research on information and disinformation, and empirically based studies that offer new insights into these processes.

Keynote speakers:

Selene Arfini, University of Pavia

Sven Bernecker, University of Cologne

M R. X. Dentith, Beijing Normal University

Magda Osman, University of Cambridge

Venue and dates:

Room BSM4, Philosophical Faculty, University of Hradec Králové, nám. Svobody 331/2, 500 02 Hradec Králové 2

October 12 and 13, 2027

Organizers:

Petr Prášek, Sacha Behrend, Petr Jošt, Daniil Koloskov

Organizational Committee:

Ladislav Koreň, Petr Prášek, Sacha Behrend, Petr Jošt, Daniil Koloskov, Jaroslav Peregrin, Iva Svačinová, Martin Paleček

Philosophical Faculty, University of Hradec Králové

For more information, please visit our website: https://ff.uhk.cz/navigating/