Truth Decay: Center for Communication Research to Host Expert on Political Mis/DisInformation
Thursday, Dec. 8; 2:00-4:00; Arkansas Union 504
The Center of Communication Research at the U of A will host a colloquium with John Gastil on the changing digital media environment, domestic and foreign misinformation and disinformation campaigns, public trust in the information infrastructure, political polarization, incivility, political stalemates and unrepresentative policymaking.
The event will take place from 2-4 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 8, in the Arkansas Union 504.
Gastil is a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Communication Arts and Sciences and Political Science at the Pennsylvania State University, where he is senior scholar at the McCourtney Institute for Democracy. Gastil's research focuses on the theory and practice of deliberative democracy. The National Science Foundation has supported his research on the Oregon Citizens' Initiative Review, the Australian Citizens' Parliament and American juries.
This talk, titled "Forestalling the epidemic of 'truth decay': An application of deliberative and political communication theories to political decision making in a divided society," weaves together theories from political communication and deliberative democracy to take on challenges to democratic policymaking posed by misinformation, misperception and cognitive biases. The inspiration for the talk is the Truth Decay model popularized by the RAND Corporation, a venerable nonprofit that does research and analysis to support evidence-based public policies.
Topics
Contacts
Freddie Jennings, director, Center for Communication Research
Department of Communication
417-389-6970,
fjjenni@uark.edu
Headlines
PetSmart CEO J.K. Symancyk to Speak at Walton College Commencement
J.K. Symancyk is an alumnus of the Sam M. Walton College of Business and serves on the Dean’s Executive Advisory Board.
Faulkner Center, Arkansas PBS Partner to Screen Documentary 'Gospel'
The Faulkner Performing Arts Center will host a screening of Gospel, a documentary exploring the origin of Black spirituality through sermon and song, in partnership with Arkansas PBS at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, May 2.
UAPD Officers Mills and Edwards Honored With New Roles
Veterans of the U of A Police Department, Matt Mills has been promoted to assistant chief, and Crandall Edwards has been promoted to administrative captain.
Community Design Center's Greenway Urbanism Project Wins LIV Hospitality Design Award
"Greenway Urbanism" is one of six urban strategies proposed under the Framework Plan for Cherokee Village, a project that received funding through an Our Town grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Spring Bike Drive Refurbishes Old Bikes for New Students
All donated bikes will be given to Pedal It Forward, a local nonprofit that will refurbish your bike and return it to the U of A campus to be gifted to a student in need. Hundreds of students have already benefited.