Allison Dining Room, Taubman Building, 5th Floor, HKS, 79 JFK Street, Cambridge, MA 02138
“Through the Grapevine: Socially Transmitted Information and Distorted Democracy”
You’re invited to join Taylor Carlson, author and assistant professor of political science at Washington University in St. Louis for a talk on “Through the Grapevine: Socially Transmitted Information and Distorted Democracy.” This discussion is part of the American Politics Speaker Series sponsored by the Center for American Political Studies and the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation.
Registration is encouraged, but not required. Lunch will be served.
Abstract
In the world today, individuals are given countless options to learn about politics. We might view this as a good thing that could lead to better-informed publics around the world, which could in turn facilitate greater government accountability. However, the reality is that many find the onslaught of news options to be daunting. Especially in the face of fake news, aggressive disinformation campaigns, partisan media bias, and even partisan groups posing as local news outlets, sifting through all of the information available and deciding what to believe can take substantial effort. One remedy to this problem employed by millions of people around the globe is to delegate the information-search task to friends and family. Instead of consuming the news directly, individuals can rely on conversations with others, both in person and on social media. While interpersonal communication could be an effective means of transmitting and consuming political information (e.g. Lupia & McCubbins 1998; Downs 1957; Berelson et al. 1954; Katz 1957), it carries with it potentially dark consequences. As individuals communicate about politics with each other, they have the power to distort that information, which can provoke both misinformation and polarization.
About the Series
The American Politics Speaker Series (APSS) aims to bring together scholars who are doing research on these and other important questions. Hosted jointly with the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation and chaired by Professors Maya Sen, Benjamin Schneer, and Justin de Benedictis-Kessner, each session will highlight a scholar whose research is at the forefront of the study of American politics.