Information Disorder: Perspectives from the Global South

4455 University Dr,Houston TX 77204

28 October, 2021

Description

Learn about the impact of disinformation on the Global South, the contextual factors impacting its spread, possible interventions and more. Disinformation and fake news have become household terms in the United States and are often attributed to deepening divisions in our society. But although research on this phenomenon is dominated by perspectives from the Global North, it has been a long-standing problem in the Global South. Deep-seated political divides and socioeconomic inequalities, exacerbated by the COVID-19 “infodemic,” have contributed to the spread of false, harmful information facilitated by digital platforms globally. In this lecture, Dr. Herman Wasserman, Professor of Media Studies at the University of Cape Town, South Africa and Fall 2021 Visiting Research Scholar in the Jack J. Valenti School of Communication, will talk about the impact of disinformation on the Global South, the contextual factors impacting its spread, possible interventions, and identify areas for further research. Dr. Herman Wasserman is Professor of Media Studies at the University of Cape Town, South Africa and currently a Visiting Research Scholar at the University of Houston. He is an internationally renowned scholar of African media in a global context. He is a Fellow of the International Communication Association, an elected member of the Academy of Science of South Africa. Wasserman is Editor-in-Chief of the academic journals African Journalism Studies and the Annals of the International Communication Association. This lecture is open to the public and free to attend. A limited number of in-person tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Live stream tickets will be available starting Thursday, October 21. Please note that face masks and safe social distancing will be encouraged. All attendees must follow the University of Houston COVID-19 policies and protocols. We are producing some of the most educated, tech-savvy and ethical graduates in the nation. Our students possess the desired mix of analytical and critical thinking skills and command the cognitive, research and professional skills required to excel in this ever-changing, challenging – yet, extremely exciting, new Information Era.