Nobel Laureate Stiglitz stresses value of public interest journalism amid AI, disinformation

The three-day Vienna event gathers media leaders from 100 countries to discuss press freedom and free expression

Nobel Laureate in Economics Joseph E Stiglitz has underscored the importance of public interest journalism in protecting democratic societies in an age marked by “authoritarianism, disinformation, and artificial intelligence”.

Speaking at an international assembly on Formulating a Work Strategy, Free Opinion, and Unsolicited Interference in Journalism in Vienna, Stiglitz said the suppression of dissent and obstruction of news publication do not reflect the characteristics of a civilised society.

The three-day event, organised by the International Press Institute, was held in the Austrian capital from Oct 23-25.

Representatives from media organisations across 100 countries took part in the discussions.

It has included multiple sessions and seminars focusing on critical issues such as freedom of expression, press freedom, the negative impacts of artificial intelligence, and strategies for countering harassment against journalists.

Shoeb Chowdhury, chairman of the Editorial Board of The Asian Age from Bangladesh, has attended the conference and exchanged views with Stiglitz.

Stiglitz, an American economist and professor at Columbia University, serves as chief economist at the Roosevelt Institute.

He was awarded the Nobel Prize in 2001 and is a former chief economist of the World Bank.

Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2011.