Conspiracy theories are often viewed in public discourse and mainstream media as a type of disinformation, frequently associated with populist rhetoric and tactics. Today, conspiracy theories are also increasingly transmitted and articulated through online multimedia content. But are conspiracy theories always a form of disinformation? How much of a threat do they pose to democratic principles and institutions? What, more exactly, is the relation between conspiracy theories and populism? And how do aesthetic idioms and the elements of multimodal and audiovisual media (sound, music, visuals, cinematographic techniques, etc.) serve to promote conspiracy-based narratives and agendas?
This symposium centers on the relations between conspiracy theories, disinformation, and populism with a specific focus on how visual, audiovisual and multimodal communication partake in the construction and spread of conspiracy theories and broader forms of ideological worldmaking in contemporary society. The symposium brings together leading scholars from the fields of audiovisual and soundtrack studies, alongside leading scholars researching conspiracy theories in relation to online communication, narrative strategies, and the aesthetics and semiotics of multimodally based conspiracy theoretical discourse.
The six presenters at the symposium are: Mari-Liis Madison (University of Tartu), Holly Rogers (Goldsmiths University), Tobias Pontara (University of Gothenburg) Robynn Stilwell (Georgetown University), Bjørn Sørenssen (NTNU, Norway), and Andreas Önnerfors (Linnaeus University).
See also
Presentation of abstracts and speaker bios
Schedule
Thursday 16 May
J330 Humanisten
09.45-10.00 - Introduction: Tobias Pontara
10.00-11.00 - The (Syn-)Aesthetics of Conspiracy Theories
Andreas Önnerfors, Linneaus University
11.15-12.15 - Conspiracy Theories and Meaning-Making: A Cultural Semiotics Perspective
Mari-Liis Madisson, University of Tartu
13.30-14.30 - Digital Diffusion of Delusions: A World Wide Web of Conspiracy Documentaries
Bjørn Sørenssen, NTNU
14.45-15.45 - Sounds of Persuasion: Music and Voice in 9/11 Conspiracy Documentaries
Holly Rogers, Goldsmiths University
Tobias Pontara, University of Gothenburg
16.15-17.15 - Manifest Destiny, Americana, and the Politics of Superpower Identity: Ideology and Marginality in the American Western
Robynn Stilwell, Georgetown University
