“Truth” and Trust in Narratives of Organised Disinformation
MEDIA, TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY PROGRAMME
CYBER TROOPS AND ORGANISED PROPAGANDA IN SOUTHEAST ASIA WEBINAR SERIES
About the Webinar
The prevalence of online disinformation in Southeast Asia needs to be understood beyond narrow definitions of fake news, to identify the narrative dynamics of organised propaganda that sustain political cultures. This webinar explores the narratives of online propaganda from the perspective of the state, its opponents and ordinary consumers and producers of disinformation. In her talk on “Entrepreneur, antipreneur, saboteur: Philippine narratives of the South China Sea”, Dr Charmaine Willoughby will show how state actors can be both purveyor and consumer of information campaigns, and how opposing online narratives engender different versions of “truth”. Professor Jason Cabañes, in his talk on “Weaponising social narratives of progress: On the imaginative dimension of historically distortionist disinformation in the Philippines”, will discuss key narratives that Filipinos draw on when engaging with disinformation campaigns on the Martial Law era, and examine the social dynamics of Filipinos consuming such campaigns, including their distorted view of fact-checking fuelled by populist anti-intellectualism, and their openness to pernicious digital influencers who “give voice” to their concerns. Mr Pradipa Rasidi and Ms Gita Elsitra, talking on “Peddling secrecy in a public of distrust: Buzzers as information brokers and conspiracy theorists”, will discuss the expanded role of political buzzers in Indonesia, showing how they position themselves as “insiders” of the secret world of politics and their propaganda work as alternative “citizen journalism”, while brokering rumours and conspiracy theories.
About the Speakers
Dr Charmaine Willoughby, Associate Professor of International Studies, De La Salle University—Manila.
Professor Jason Vincent Cabañes, Professor of Communication, De La Salle University—Manila.
Mr Pradipa P. Rasidi, MSc Anthropology, University of Indonesia.
Ms Gita N. Elsitra, Associate researcher LP3ES; MA student Graduate School of Asia Pacific Studies, Waseda University.
Registration
This webinar will be delivered online entirely. You can join the webinar at the specified date and time using devices (computer, phone, or tablet) with internet connection.
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