The Carleton Communication and Media Studies program invites you to join them October 3 for the 15th Annual Attallah Lecture, "Meme War 2024: Networked Incitement in the Static Age".

In this talk, Joan Donovan will offer a contemporary analysis of the political communication strategies that leverage the ambiguity of memes to carry out media manipulation and disinformation campaigns. In her co-authored book, Meme Wars, Donovan argues that political communication is at a crossroads as more and more people find their news, entertainment, and politics packaged and delivered through black-boxed algorithms. During election season, platforms become a battleground, where competing factions drive public opinion on wedge issues to villainize opponents and valorize their party. Memes become a powerful psychological weapon in the netwar, where it becomes difficult to differentiate between citizens and combatants.

Reception 6:00 PM / Lecture 7:00 PM. Please join us in person or virtually.