time and place
Monday 13 October 2025, 12:00–13:00
SNS, Jakobsbergsgatan 18, Stockholm. Lunch will be served from 11:30.
Ahead of every election, concerns resurface about the impact of misinformation on voters. Public debate often highlights the role of the media in fueling polarization and creating “parallel universes,” where people consume news that reinforce their political views. But what solid evidence do we have that today’s voters cannot tell fact from fiction? And what explains the difference between those who can and those who cannot?
At this seminar, Professor Andrea Prat from Columbia Business School will present new empirical research based on surveys of more than 15,000 participants. His findings challenge the idea of “parallel universes” and show that socioeconomic factors—such as age, education, and income—matter far more for people’s ability to separate real news from misinformation than political affiliation.
Daniel Poohl, CEO of Expo, and Jörgen Huitfeldt, editor-in-chief of Kvartal, will join to discuss Prat’s findings and reflect on their implications in a Swedish context.
The seminar is part of IIES/SNS International Policy Talks, a collaboration between the Institute for International Economic Studies (IIES) at Stockholm University and SNS. The series aims to bring insights from leading international economists to the Swedish policy debate.
The seminar is held in English.
Speakers
Jörgen Huitfeldt, Editor in Chief, Kvartal
Daniel Poohl, CEO, Expo
Andrea Prat, Richard Paul Richman Professor of Business at Columbia Business School and Professor of Economics at Columbia University. Prat has done research in political economy with focus on the influence of media on the democratic processes. Prat has also held positions and published his research in renowned academic journals.
The seminar is moderated by Ilinca Benson, CEO at SNS.
Registration and Fee
The meeting is free of charge and open to SNS members*, researchers, press, and specially invited guests from IIES and SNS. Please register via the registration button above.
If you cancel after October 10 or do not show up, a fee of 395 SEK excluding VAT will be charged for those who registered to attend on-site (this also applies to those who participate free of charge)
*List of SNS members/Information about membership.
Welcome!