Polarization, outrage-driven engagement, and unstructured online debates are increasingly shaping today’s media landscape. While digital platforms have expanded access to public discourse, they have also amplified conflict, misinformation and hate undermining trust in media and weakening democratic dialogue.

This session explores how the design of debate formats, moderation tools, and audience interaction influences the quality of public discussion. Moving beyond the false choice between censorship and chaos, it argues for a third path: structured, rules-based debate environments that enable disagreement without escalation.

Using Rebut, an AI-powered platform for structured video debates, as a practical example, the session will demonstrate how technology can help rebuild a culture of civil disagreement starting with universities, civic organizations and media.

The session is relevant for media professionals, political technologists, policymakers, civil society leaders, funders and investors interested in scalable solutions to polarization and democratic resilience.