Why are lies creeping into so many platforms of public discourse? Join three professors from three Faculty of Arts disciplines for a panel discussion and Q&A that will tackle the truth about lies.
Speakers and topics:
Robert Danisch, Associate Professor of Speech Communication:
Democracy as talking to strangers: What are the causes and consequences of our current forms of public communication? And how should we practice citizenship when public discourse is shaped by incivility, inaccuracy, and conflict over truth itself?
Anna Esselment, Assistant Professor of Political Science:
From being caught in a lie to perpetuating untruths: How is the phenomenon of fake news changing the way campaigns are fought and won? How deeply does this affect the way voters make their choices at the ballot box?
David DeVidi, Professor of Philosophy:
Is fake news old news? Are “fake news” and “alternative facts” really any different from timeless phenomena like public hysteria and politicians being “economical with the truth”? A closer look shows much that is the same, but also that recent trends are reason for alarm and for taking action.
Moderated by Douglas Peers, Dean of Arts, this panel is part of the University of Waterloo's Beyond 60 Community Lecture Series and is co-hosted by Kitchener Public Library.