From 2-6 July 2024, Megan Shahi travelled through three German cities and enriched a total of 246 participants with her expertise at 12 events. The participants were made up of politicians, company representatives, transatlantic experts, NGO representatives, journalists, students and other interested parties.

All events had the overarching theme of the interaction between media and political elections. The development of election campaign narratives, the influencing of voters through disinformation and misinformation, or the development of the role of the media, from historical perspectives to current challenges posed by digital technologies were questions and problem areas that were discussed during Ms. Shahi’s trip to Germany.

Ms. Shahi brings deep knowledge and extensive experience on these very topics. She has spent the majority of her career promoting transparency and accountability at some of the world’s most influential social media companies and is passionate about future-proofing technology regulation in the U.S., as well as positively impacting the intersection of technology and public policy. She has a wealth of technical expertise in this area, having worked at Meta, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter) supporting users and policymakers, creating platform guidelines and developing product strategy before joining American Progress.

The younger generation in particular has been exposed to and engaged with social media since birth. Ms. Shahis discusses the influence of social media on democratic processes with pupils from year 10-12 at Burg Gymnasium Kaiserslautern. 

Megan Shahi used her time in Rhineland-Palatinate to talk to journalists from Rheinpfalz and Rhein-Zeitung and share her perspectives on the role of the media in democracy.

Shahi was a guest on the podcast ‘America’s Constitution’, produced by the Atlantic Academy Rhineland-Palatinate, where she spoke about the constitutional and political structures of the United States. Her contribution aimed to promote a deeper understanding of the American electoral system. At the University of Mainz, she then gave a gripping lecture entitled ‘Tech-Powered Democracy. The Role of Social Media in the U.S. Elections’, in which she highlighted the importance of social media for American elections and its impact on democracy.

The second stop in Leipzig included exciting discussions at Abilene Christian University, where her words not only gave the audience food for thought, but also invited them to engage critically with the challenges of digital democracy.

In Berlin, Megan Shahi took a deep dive into the current challenges facing the media landscape. Firstly, she met with a representative from Reporters Without Borders to discuss the future of freedom of expression in a world where traditional and especially digital media are increasingly influencing the political situation. She then addressed the question ‘Social Media: Menace or Blessing for Democracy?’, in a lively discussion she held together with a representative of the European Parliament.

In an informal evening with the Berlin think tank POLIS 180, made up of committed students and young professionals, Ms. Shahi got talking about the political impact of social media. Her exchange also led her to Tabea Rößner, Chair of the Bundestag Committee on Digital Affairs, with whom she spoke about the digital future of Germany and Europe. For a deeper insight into technology policy, she also gave an interview for the Tagesspiegel Background before taking part in the public event ‘Tech-powered Democracy’. Here she discussed the role of social media in elections in both the US and Germany with Dr. Benjamin Brake, Head of Digital and Data Policy at the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport. This lively discussion was organized in cooperation with the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom and gave the audience valuable insights into the intersection of technology and democracy.

Partner