#rp26 speaker Jessica Burbank: How to hack back our Feeds

The Alt-Right leverages emotional triggers, memes, and algorithmic manipulation to dominate the feed. But the tide is turning: by "translating" complex policy into digital-first narratives, progressives now also reach younger audiences as they scroll. 

How do you make corporate wage theft or healthcare subsidies trend on TikTok? How do you fight back against a right-wing media machine? Drawing from her work reaching millions of young people, Jessica Burbank explores how we can utilize media formats to foster a more informed, engaged, and progressive younger generation. 

The American journalist, commentator, and host of The Jessica Burbank Show delivers incisive, fearless coverage of current events, economics, culture, and public policy across social and broadcast media. She brings working class roots and an anti-imperialist lens to her reporting, blending sharp analysis with personality-driven commentary that connects domestic and global issues through bold, comedic, thoughtful storytelling. At re:publica Berlin 2026, she will share methods of how to turn "boring“ policies into viral movements – and how to reclaim digital spaces from the grip of right-wing rage-bait for good.