Never Gonna Give You Up Pt. 2 — re:publica Debrief: Hope, Haters & the Coalition Problem

Never Gonna Give You Up Pt. 2 — re:publica Debrief: Hope, Haters & the Coalition Problem

Author: Sascha Funk May 30, 2026 Duration: 22:23

I'm back from Berlin. Three days at re:publica — Europe's biggest digital culture conference — and I have thoughts.

The good news: the room was packed. People sat on the floor and stood in the doorway to hear a talk about digital dissent in Southeast Asia. People genuinely care about the open internet, democracy, and what happens when platforms eat themselves. There was even a hater in my Q&A, which means at least someone was paying attention.

The complicated news: caring about the right things and building a coalition big enough to actually change them are two different skills. This episode is about the gap between them — and why the people who understand the game best sometimes struggle most to grow the team playing it.

Also: Cory Doctorow, enshittification, and why I'm still wearing the entrance wristband a week later.


In a world saturated with constant notifications and algorithmic feeds, FUNK !T | Mindful Media & Communication offers a necessary pause. Hosted by Sascha Funk, who leads the media studies department at Thammasat University, this podcast is a deep and practical exploration of our daily interactions with technology and information. Each episode moves beyond surface-level tips to examine the underlying structures of our media environment, asking how we can engage with it more consciously. You’ll find conversations that dissect digital trends not just for their novelty, but for their real psychological and social impact. The discussions here are about building resilience and intention-whether that means refining how you communicate professionally, understanding the design of the platforms you use, or simply finding more agency in your personal scrolling habits. This isn't about rejecting technology, but about developing a sustainable and critical relationship with it. Sascha brings academic insight into accessible, actionable territory, making the complex dynamics of media feel relevant to your everyday life. For anyone feeling adrift in the digital noise or curious about the forces shaping our modern conversations, this podcast provides both a compass and a toolkit. It’s a space for learning how to be present and purposeful in a mediated world, one thoughtful discussion at a time.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

FUNK !T | Mindful Media & Communication
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