We’re excited to announce that the program and registration website for Global Disinformation in a Post-Moderation World Symposium, co-organized by the Center for Communication & Public Policy and Northwestern University’s Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs, and co-sponsored by the Kyiv-Mohyla Foundation of America and the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, this two-day event brings together leading experts from academia, policy, industry, and civil society to confront one of the most pressing issues of our time: how disinformation spreads and persists in an age when traditional moderation is receding.
👉 Visit the full event site, program, and register here
🗓️ Event Dates & Format
- Thursday, January 22, 2026 – Opening plenary at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs (with in-person and online attendance options)
- Friday, January 23, 2026 – Full-day symposium at the Buffett Institute’s Evanston campus
Registration is open for both in-person and virtual participation across the symposium’s sessions.
🧠 What to Expect
This symposium explores how the global information landscape is rapidly changing as large platforms and government institutions scale back active content moderation. In this emerging “post-moderation” era, communities and individuals increasingly bear responsibility for identifying, interpreting, and responding to disinformation. Scholars and practitioners will engage in thoughtful dialogue on strategies to:
- Strengthen trust and credibility in information ecosystems
- Promote platform, government, and user accountability
- Advance innovative tools and approaches to counter disinformation
- Foster cross-sector collaboration for resilient information flows
🎤 Confirmed Speakers & Panel Moderators
The program features a distinguished lineup of speakers, moderators, and panelists who bring diverse expertise and global perspectives.
Keynote & Opening Plenary
- Ellen E. McCarthy – CEO, Trust in Media Cooperative; former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Intelligence & Research
- Suzanne Nossel – Lester Crown Senior Fellow, Chicago Council on Global Affairs; expert on free expression and digital rights
- James Warren – Executive Editor, NewsGuard
- Leslie Vinjamuri – President & CEO, Chicago Council on Global Affairs (Moderator)
Panels and Sessions Include
✔ Innovating Resilience to Disinformation
- Gordon Pennycook – Psychology Professor, Cornell University
- Andrew Pel – Head of Campaigns, Moonshot
- Laura Zommer – Co-Founder & CEO, Factchequeado
- Erik Nisbet – Moderator; Director, Center for Communication & Public Policy, Northwestern University
✔ Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration
- Angie Drobnic Holan – Director, International Fact-Checking Network
- Erin Saltman – Senior Director, Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism
- David A. Bray – Distinguished Chair of the Accelerator, Stimson Center
- Nicholas Diakopoulos – Moderator; Professor of Communication Studies & Computer Science, Northwestern University
✔ Countering State-Sponsored Disinformation
- Shih-Hung Lo – Professor & Chairperson, Taiwan FactCheck Center
- Viktoriia Romaniuk – Director, Mohyla School of Journalism
- Ellen E. McCarthy – Returning panelist on international disinformation responses
- Olga Kamenchuk – Moderator; Associate Professor of Communication and Policy Research
✔ Ensuring Accountability in the Digital Age
- Imran Ahmed – CEO, Center for Countering Digital Hate
- Emily Vraga – Health Communication Professor, University of Minnesota
- James Warren – Returning panelist on accountability discussions
- Priyanka Motaparthy – Moderator; Clinical Professor of Law, Northwestern University
💡 Why This Matters
As content moderation across major platforms diminishes and institutional efforts shift, understanding how societies can maintain informed public discourse has never been more critical. This symposium provides a rare interdisciplinary forum for generating new ideas, bridging research and practice, and charting paths forward in defending information integrity globally.