If you make it trend, you make it true.
Join us for an evening in Munich with Renée DiResta, a social media researcher and the author of Invisible Rulers: The People Who Turn Lies into Reality, a “powerful, original investigation into the way power and influence have been profoundly transformed (that) reveals how a virtual rumor mill of niche propagandists increasingly shapes public opinion.”
About the event:
From taking on and defeating California’s anti-vaxxers a decade ago to uncovering the ways that China and Russia target the American public and elections, DiResta has not merely been an observer of the machinery promulgating the Big Lie and the unyielding culture wars. As analyst, investigator, and participant, she provides unprecedented insight into the way influencers shape the opinion and behavior of massive crowds, with the power to drive those crowds into battle – while bearing no responsibility for the consequences.
In her book, Invisible Rulers – The People Who Turn Lies Into Reality, DiResta analyzes the interconnectedness between influencers, algorithms, and online crowds. She discusses the increasing power and influence of online propagandists, who, with their platforms, affect public discourse and how we perceive truth. Through their followers, these influencers negatively impact the connection between citizens and their government by undermining the belief in the legitimacy of the institutions that form our society. With Invisible Rulers, Renée DiResta not only considers the consequences of these propagandists but also offers ideas on how politicians can adapt and fight back.
There will be a drinks reception for all after the talk.
About the speaker:
Renée DiResta is associate research professor at the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown. Her work is primarily concerned with rumors and propaganda in the digital age, and she has analyzed several geopolitical campaigns, voting-related issues, health misinformation and conspiracies. DiResta also contributes to The Atlantic, and her writing has appeared in many other newspapers and academic journals. Prior, she has worked as the technical research manager at the Stanford Internet Observatory. She was a Presidential Leadership Scholar and has been named an Emerson Fellow, a Truman National Security Project fellow, Mozilla Fellow in Media, Misinformation, and Trust, a Harvard Berkman-Klein affiliate, and a Council on Foreign Relations term member.
She has advised Congress, the White House, state legislatures, and business organizations on issues related to technology and policy, including information operations, generative AI, election security, researcher transparency, child safety, and more.
Admission is free. Please register via https://eveeno.com/207905772
There will be an in-person book group to discuss Invisible Rulers in late October at Amerikahaus. Watch this space for date and time!
This event will be available online if you cannot be with us in person. Link to follow closer to the date.