Trust, civic engagement, and shared responsibility in the digital age

The statement warns that social media and generative AI are being used by far-right groups and authoritarian leaders to normalize racism, misogyny, and misinformation. It highlights the fragmentation of the media landscape into echo chambers and argues that while regulation is necessary, the primary solution must be a 'whole-of-society approach' to digital media and information literacy for all ages to protect the rule of law and democratic integrity.

• Far-right groups are utilizing cultural production, including clothing and music, to normalize their ideologies, a trend that has accelerated due to social media.
• The digital media ecosystem in the USA has become fragmented, with right-wing audiences concentrating on platforms like Truth Social and X, where generative AI now amplifies misinformation beyond simple tweets.
• To protect democracy and the rule of law, there is an urgent need for digital media and information literacy for children, adolescents, and adults to understand how technologies are manipulated and weaponized.
• A sustainable solution to disinformation requires a comprehensive approach involving policymakers, private companies, and civil society to build institutional resilience and societal trust.

APA

Rowley, S. (2026). Trust, civic engagement, and shared responsibility in the digital age. World Association for Christian Communication. https://waccglobal.org/trust-civic-engagement-and-shared-responsibility-in-the-digital-age/

Chicago

Rowley, Saskia. Trust, civic engagement, and shared responsibility in the digital age. World Association for Christian Communication, 2026. https://waccglobal.org/trust-civic-engagement-and-shared-responsibility-in-the-digital-age/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Rowley |first1=Saskia |title=Trust, civic engagement, and shared responsibility in the digital age |publisher=World Association for Christian Communication |date=12 January 2026 |url=https://waccglobal.org/trust-civic-engagement-and-shared-responsibility-in-the-digital-age/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{rowley2026trust, author = {Rowley, Saskia}, title = {{Trust, civic engagement, and shared responsibility in the digital age}}, publisher = {World Association for Christian Communication}, year = {2026}, month = jan, url = {https://waccglobal.org/trust-civic-engagement-and-shared-responsibility-in-the-digital-age/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }