The workshop Cultural Memory in Online Public Discourse: Between Polarization and Deliberation (Portorož, 7-9 May 2025) was part of the Horizon Europe–funded project SoMe4Dem (Social Media for Democracy). Hosted by the IRRIS Institute in collaboration with project partners and guest keynote speakers, it gathered researchers from political theory, communication, memory studies, computational social sciences, and digital humanities to examine the transformations of cultural memory in online discourse and the impact of these processes on democratic practices and the public sphere. The event highlighted how social media platforms not only mediate but restructure the visibility, circulation, and contestation of memory, but also contributing to both deliberative potential and deepening polarization. 

The event was opened by Darko Darovec, with a welcome on behalf of the host institution, Eckehard Olbrich, SoMe4dem project coordinator, and Marjan Horvat, IRRIS research team leader. The workshop was structured in three sections: Theory, Case Studies and Methodology and Impacts. Keynotes and panels addressed critical theoretical reflections on the digital transformation of the public sphere (Slavko Splichal, Nora Zech), the democratic implications of digital memory practices (Marjan Horvat, Martin Pogačar), and innovative AI-supported methodologies for analyzing narratives (Marko Robnik Šikonja, Tadej Škvorc, Jan Babnik, Jan Elfes, Armin Pournaki). Presentations demonstrated how LLMs can be used to map antagonism, agonism, and deliberation in public discourse.

Case studies ranged from the political use of memes on historical topics (Jan-Robert Adriaansen), analysis of mnemonic murals and street art in the post-Yugoslav space (Vjeran Pavlaković), the usage of AI agents in monument mapping (Bendikt Perak) and the presentation of AquaGranda community memory project in Venice (Constanza Sartoris), to LLM-supported analyses of commemorations, such as Italian commemoration Giorno del Ricordo (Urška Lampe, Jure Koražija) and presentation of MEMPOP project on the same topic (Laura Mafizzoli). Notably, findings from IRRIS researchers pointed to the existence of “agonistic bridges” in even the most polarized memory debates, such as those concerning foibe, indicating the potential for narrative openings and democratic engagement.

Empirical case studies also included in-depth analysis of identity construction on social media (Carlo R.M.A. Santagiustina), the rise of conspiratorial memory and disinformation (Boris Noordenbos, Marc Tuters, Serge Poliakoff) and historical shift from evidence-based to intuition-based political language in the case of US Congressional speeches (Stephan Lewandowsky). 

Across disciplines and formats, the workshop revealed how digital media not only mediate memory but actively restructure the conditions for public engagement and identity formation. It concluded with a call for further collaboration on methodologies bridging computational tools with cultural-political analysis.