Chemtrails, anti-vaxxers, Trump’s tweets, viral videos, viral outrage, breaking news: we are drowning in information overload. Every 60 seconds we share millions of items on Facebook, we watch millions of videos on Youtube and TikTok, we write billions of tweets and WhatsApp messages. Fake news outlets sometimes break real stories. Trusted newspapers sometimes run fake news. People believe everything and nothing at the same time. Our brains cannot process all this information.
Can we change it?
All around the world small crews of freelance journalists are creating an alternative. Rob Orchard and his Delayed Gratification in England, Frédéric Martel in France, De Correspondent’s crew in the Netherlands, Lea Korsgaard and her Zetland in Denmark and many others. They do not know each other, but still they want the same thing: to slow down.
Meanwhile, in Milan, four independent journalists meet professor Peter Laufer, from the University of Oregon; he is the author of the Slow News manifesto, inspired by the Slow Food philosophy and adapted for journalism. They have a mission: to connect the dots. Which means reaching and connecting all those journalists who believe in “slow journalism” and in the key role of journalism for the defense and maintenance of democracy and freedom. A crucial battle at a time when these values are under attack everywhere.
All these people’s paths are about to cross: will they build something new together?