Dr. Laura Dugan, Ohio State University, Ralph D. Mershon Professor of Human Security and Professor of Sociology
Title: How State Leaders Fuel Hostility
Abstract: Political manipulation has likely been around for as long as there have been leaders. Yet as new technologies enhance communication, leaders are better able to leverage propaganda to build momentum for political causes, motivating some people to harm others and sometimes even fight against their own best interest. With social media, leaders are better able to communicate directly to their constituencies and get immediate feedback through “likes” and retweets, allowing them to recalibrate their messaging for the desired effect. This talk introduces the early stages of a research program that examines the context of Tweets by state legislators from all 50 states and how they might perpetuate hostility through anti-public health messaging during the Covid-19 pandemic and anti-immigration rhetoric raising fear of “replacement” despite the heavily domestic demographics of their home districts. We anticipate that this messaging adheres to the political climate of these states, which explains much of the variation in outcomes such as protests and hate crimes.
To attend by zoom, register in advance: https://osu.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJIrf-Gprz4pG9M1x9dwYZHEyyLnZib9ypmo
