International Research Network Workshop
You can attend the workshop phsysical or online.
Oplysninger om arrangementet
Tidspunkt
Sted
Finlandsgade 21, 8200 Aarhus N, Building 5335, Room 091

Following in particular the ‘infodemic’ that characterized the COVID-19 pandemic, there is now an upsurge in interest in the study of the geopolitical, health and military/security implications of mis/mal/disinformation. This heightened focus on the security dimensions of mis/mal/disinformation presents an opportunity to highlight experiences of non-Western contexts in particular, that have for a very long time, experienced the socio-economic, health and security implications of mis/mal/disinformation. West Africa in particular, is one such region, which is marked by an increasing level of insecurity as a consequence of armed groups attacking both national and international military units and civilians. This significant increase in insecurity in West Africa is also taking place against a background of rapidly changing political regimes as well as national media and communication ecologies that are further problematizing the spread, reach and implications of mis/mal/disinformation. In such contexts, where the colonial legacies of censorship and control of the media/communication landscape is being seriously challenged, there are at individual, community and state levels, a blending of complex historically grounded and new/emerging strategies and tactics to propagate and navigate mis/mal/disinformation.
Against this background, the International Research Network Media, Security Crises and Youth in West Africa is organizing a two-days hybrid workshop that will examine the historicity, contemporary patterns, appropriations and implications of mis/mal/disinformation beyond the Anglo-American sphere. In addition to examining methodological challenges and options in researching mis/mal/disinformation in contexts of heightened insecurities, the workshop will also address, through transdisciplinary and decolonial perspectives, conceptualizations of mis/mal/disinformation, not to forget the popular notion of ‘fake news’; the lesser known ‘infox’, and their pertinence in different socio-political contexts and communication ecologies especially in the Sahel.
Language: Presentations and discussions during the workshop will mainly be in French.
Registration: Physical or virtual participation in the workshop is free but registration is required. To register for the workshop, please send an email to Associate Professor Poul Erik Nielsen (imvpen@cc.au.dk) and Associate Professor Teke Ngomba (imvjnt@cc.au.dk).
Deadline for Registration: Tuesday, 22 August 2023