Conference Protecting Democracy: the role of Polls and Information

The event “Protecting Democracy: the role of Polls and Information” aims to promote a critical and informed reflection on the contemporary challenges faced by democracies, with a particular focus on the relationship between opinion polls, information quality and civic participation. Held on the eve of 25 April, the event carries a particularly symbolic dimension, evoking the founding values of Portuguese democracy — freedom, participation and pluralism — and inviting their reinterpretation in light of current challenges.

This temporal proximity reinforces the need to view democracy not as something taken for granted, but as a continuous process of construction and protection. In a context marked by increasing disinformation, media fragmentation and growing political polarisation, the initiative seeks to raise awareness among participants of the central role of polls and information in shaping a democratic public sphere.

Opinion polls, as instruments for measuring public opinion, play a decisive yet complex role: they inform citizens and decision-makers, but also shape perceptions, expectations and voting behaviour, influencing phenomena such as strategic voting, bandwagon effects or the consolidation of preferences.

Through the contribution of David Dinis, the event aims to provide participants with a practical and experienced perspective on how the media operate, the challenges of political coverage and the responsibility involved in the reading, interpretation and dissemination of polls.

The event also seeks to strengthen participants’ media and political literacy, encouraging a critical approach to information consumption, particularly regarding the interpretation of data from opinion polls, and promoting more conscious, participatory and informed citizenship. At the same time, it aims to create an open space for dialogue between the speaker and the audience, encouraging questions and the sharing of perspectives, including through interactive digital tools integrated into the session.

As for the target audience, the event is primarily aimed at secondary and higher education students, particularly in the fields of social sciences, communication, political science and international relations. However, its transversal nature also allows for the participation of any citizen interested in the themes of democracy, polls and the media, contributing to a broader and more plural debate on the state and future of contemporary democracies.

Programme

Reception (3:15 pm – 3:30 pm)

Institutional Opening (3:30 pm – 3:40 pm)

• António Costa Pinto (5 min)
  
• Susana Rogeiro Nina (5 min)

Moderation - Sara Pina (3:40 pm – 3:45 pm)

• Presentation of the speaker
  
• Explanation of the QR code dynamics

Talk by David Dinis (3:45 pm – 4:45 pm)

Final questions (4:45 pm – 5:15 pm)

Closing (5:15 pm – 5:20 pm)

• Susana Rogeiro Nina