Media, Opinion, Power – Dynamics of Polarization in the Present

Never before has information been so easily accessible – and at the same time so divisive. The second lecture addresses the mechanisms of modern polarization: filter bubbles, outrage dynamics, and the growing role of social media as political stages. It also highlights political strategies that deliberately aim at societal division. Using current examples from Europe and North America, it discusses how publicness, trust, and truth are renegotiated in a digitalized world. Simon Moritz is a graduate political scientist and a freelance lecturer in political adult education.