Can the World Defend Truth Fast Enough? Susan Abbott on Media, Democracy, and the Global Fight for Information Resilience
From Bosnia's post-war reconstruction to Ukraine's wartime information defense, the international community has spent three decades trying to build free, resilient media systems abroad — with results that are as instructive as they are uneven. UNA-Boulder County is pleased to host a timely conversation with Susan Abbott, a leading voice in international media development and digital rights, as she draws on nearly two decades of fieldwork to explore one of the most urgent questions facing states today: can the international system defend truth and press freedom fast enough to keep pace with digital-age threats?
About the Talk
Abbott will examine how authoritarian regimes are weaponizing disinformation and shrinking civic space worldwide, how shifting donor priorities are reshaping the future of independent journalism and civil society, and what "information resilience" really means — not just for the countries receiving aid, but for democracies here at home.
Whether you're interested in foreign policy, human rights, journalism, or the future of global cooperation, this talk offers a rare on-the-ground perspective on one of the defining challenges of our time.
A UNA-Boulder County / UNA-BC event. Free and open to the public. Q&A to follow.
About Susan Abbott
Susan Abbott's work explores the relationships among media, democracy, technology, and international development. For more than 20 years, she has worked with governments, multilateral organizations, foundations, universities, civil society organizations, and independent media to strengthen public interest media, democratic governance, and resilient information ecosystems. Her international experience spans Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Latin America, including extensive work in fragile and conflict-affected settings such as Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ukraine, Sudan, Syria, Zimbabwe, and Sierra Leone.
Her current research focuses on public interest media, media sustainability, information integrity, artificial intelligence and democracy, digital governance, and the future of media development. She is particularly interested in how emerging technologies are reshaping media systems, democratic institutions, and civic participation — and how research and evaluation can generate evidence that supports more effective policy and practice.
Abbott has designed and led evaluations, media landscape assessments, contribution analyses, political economy analyses, and organizational learning initiatives for bilateral and multilateral donors, United Nations agencies, foundations, and international NGOs, including USAID, the U.S. State Department's Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, Sida, Open Society Foundations, Internews, and IREX. She most recently served as USAID's Information Integrity and Resilience Advisor in the Office of Global Trends and Technology, providing technical leadership on counter-disinformation programming, media literacy, AI ethics, and donor learning.
Before joining the University of Colorado Boulder, Susan held research and leadership positions at the Center for Global Communication Studies at the University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg School for Communication and the Center for Media and Communication Studies at Central European University in Budapest. She is the founder of Cross-Pollinate Consulting, an advisory practice connecting research, strategy, and collaboration to strengthen independent media and digital democracy worldwide.
At CU Boulder, Susan teaches courses on media, technology, politics, globalization, and digital culture in the College of Media, Communication, Design and Information. She holds a PhD in Communication from the University of Westminster in London, an MA in Political Science from Central European University, and a BA from American University.
Further Reading
Interested in learning more about Susan Abbott's work before the talk? Here are a few places to start:
International Media Development: Historical Perspectives and New Frontiers (Peter Lang) — Abbott co-edited this volume examining decades of international efforts to build independent media systems around the world.
Measures of Press Freedom and Media Contributions to Development: Evaluating the Evaluators (Peter Lang, 2011) — Abbott's earlier co-edited collection on how the field measures the impact of media development programs.
Susan Abbott's profile at CU Boulder's Center for Media, Design and Information — background on her current teaching and research.
Cross-Pollinate Consulting — Abbott's consulting practice, with more on her ongoing work in independent media, digital rights, and democratic resilience.
Susan Abbott's profile via Devex — an overview of her career across USAID, Internews, and international media development.
This event is hosted by the United Nations Association of Boulder County (UNA-BC). Free and open to the public — Q&A to follow.
