Bill Kellogg Lecture: Information as a Battleground: Media Freedom, Digital Rights, and the Future of Aid

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. Join us for 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 across Eastern Europe, the Balkans, Africa, and the Middle East 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? 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.