Christina Elmer
Institute for Journalism Dortmund Technical University
Tina Lee
editor-in-chief Unbias the News
Maren Urner
HMKW University of Applied Sciences Cologne
Our brains use plenty of short-cuts to process the complex world around us, filter relevant information and make decisions. On the one hand a useful optimisation process, this also carries some dangers; it makes us anything but a "purely reasonable" decision-maker. Although well known in psychology and neuroscience, many journalist are not aware of the biases that distort human perception and memory. And it doesn't "stop" there; algorithms, commonly assumed to be bias-free, are susceptible to such distortions, because they are programmed by humans after all. In a media world increasingly influenced by algorithmic systems, journalists need to be able to recognize their own and algorithmic biases.
In our panel we want to examine psychological biases and potential counter strategies from different perspectives. How can media professionals and institutions act adequately to avoid discriminatory effects – and what possibilities do citizens have to react? How can we prevent data-based research from being distorted by background effects? In short, how do we protect ourselves – and our environment – from an all-too-biased view of the world?
Based on concrete projects and scientific insights, we will present possible solutions and discuss them with the audience.