The Quint's Chief Editor Raghav Bahl To Chair Tata LitFest 'Social Media' Debate

Congress MP and veteran writer Shashi Tharoor will speak for the motion, along with Carnegie scholar Anirudh Suri.

The Quint's Editor-in-Chief Raghav Bahl will chair a debate on the motion 'Social media strengthens democracy,' on Friday, 11 November, at the 13th edition of Tata Literature Live! – a literature festival in Mumbai.

(Photo Courtesy: Tata Literature Live)

The Quint's Editor-in-Chief Raghav Bahl will chair a debate on the motion 'Social media strengthens democracy,' on Friday, 11 November, at the 13th edition of Tata Literature Live! – a literature festival in Mumbai.

One of the most vexing technological issues today is the effect of digital technologies on our daily lives. The role of social media is of particular concern since it has a ripple effect on society and the individual. One highly contested area is the influence social media has on democratic processes and the spread of misinformation.

Social media has allowed marginalised groups an effective  tool to reach out to groups who would ordinarily not be accessible to them. It has provided them with a platform to challenge but biased narratives as well.On the other hand it has allowed a much wider, greater and quicker reach for false and biased narratives to spread. The other big concern is the concentration of power within a handful of social media companies.

Congress MP and veteran writer Shashi Tharoor will speak for the motion, along with Carnegie India scholar Anirudh Suri. Former national spokesperson for the Congress party Sanjay Jha and Australian journalist Antoinette Lattouf will be arguing against the motion.

The debate is set to take place at NCPA, Tata Theatre in Mumbai from 8:00 to 9:30 pm.

Last year, Raghav Bahl had chaired a debate on the motion 'College Students Should Not Participate in Political Protests' at the literature festival.