Reinforcing Information Integrity Across Sectors: A Conversation with Christina Dahlman, New Co-Chair of TED WG3

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TED Secretariat: Christina Dahlman, you have recently joined the TED Working Group 3 (WG3) Media and Digital as a Co-Chair. What benefit do you see in the TED Initiative, especially in the TED Network for your work and Sida in general?

Christina Dahlman: TED WG3 provides an excellent platform for raising and deliberating some of the new challenges and opportunities that confronts the information eco system today. For Sida the links between media development and digitalization is key going forward with relevant and constructive support in the field of information integrity. For me personally, as I have rejoined the media and digital sphere, it is also a wonderful forum to reconnect with old colleagues and friends from previous lives. 

TED Secretariat: Safeguarding media freedom and pluralism, freedom of expression, access to reliable information, and human rights online and offline is in light of democratic backsliding and the rise of disinformation more vital than ever. What are Sidas priorities on safeguarding information integrity?

Christina Dahlman: Sida places strong emphasis on safeguarding information integrity as part of its broader commitment to transparency, accountability, and effective development cooperation. Sida also has a tradition, and it remains a key priority, to support free and independent media and online freedom of expression, which we see as the foundation for information integrity. We are also placing increasing emphasis on addressing challenges around disinformation, in particularly around elections.

Given the increased focus on trade and private sector investments, the challenges around climate change for example, priorities for Sida lie with integrating democratic values and principles in other sectors. It is increasingly important to support mechanisms for transparency and accountability as well as to build robust institutions that uphold these principles and ensuring their implementation.

The focus is rather on how we work within the democracy and human rights field but perhaps more importantly how we systematically and constructively work across sectors and engage with other actors. Environment and climate, energy transition and developing approaches to supporting a just green and digital transition is one of the core areas for the organization. Media and information integrity are vital component of this, as are the links with work on secure and effective digital information management and governance, digital public infrastructure, safe and secure connectivity etc.

TED Secretariat: You attended your first TED Network Annual Meeting this September. What is your main takeaway from the discussions that will be guiding your work over the next year?

Christina Dahlman: There are many things I take with me from the meeting in Brussels. The opportunity to engage with so many experienced and knowledgeable experts and professionals with so much passion for this work gave me enormous energy that stays with me. To be able to deep dive into various aspects of the 360-degree approach was also very valuable. I am looking forward to continuing the collaboration on this and how we can ensure accountability, transparency and participation principles throughout the value chains. It will also be very exciting to explore methods and ways to further sharpen and strengthen media and digitalization engagement in support of democratic governance.