Live-Tweeting #InfoDisorderUH Dr. Herman Wasserman Lecture
With a lecture sharing the perspectives of the Global South and the information disorder that comes within media influence, Dr. Herman Wasserman talked on Thursday to an engaged audience at UH.
Whether it be in person or through a digital live stream, the audience members were able to ask questions to Wasserman after the presentation on information disorder. This provided clarity on some of the talking points.
“There is a lot being published at the moment, it’s hard to keep,” Wasserman said during the lecture. “Popular cultural (items) such as music are used to present political commentary on the regime.”
Some points provided by Wasserman during the lecture were how the Global North was prioritized when it came to media coverage and fact-checking sources.
With the Global South, there are some areas where media outreach can be overlooked because of politics or social contexts. Priority typically does not go to the countries like those Wasserman researched such as Kenya, Nigeria or South Africa.
“The sea of exposure is much higher than the United States,” Wasserman said. “We see a history of deep social division in these regions.”
Part of Wasserman’s discussion made sure to include how the pandemic and COVID-19 in general affected the media, weaponizing terms such as “fake news” and an increase in coverage.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has not only given new material but increased pressures on viability,” Wasserman said.
The highlights of this lecture were able to provide a new perspective, expanding a journalist and media viewpoint beyond just the Global North.