Forum:
CONTEMPORARY PROPAGANDA

When: Tuesday January 24 - 6:15 pm (Total: 2 hours)
Where: Antikvariatet, Nedre Bakklandet 4 [map]

The term 'post-truth' became the Oxford Dictionary Word of the Year in 2016 – a year where it became increasingly evident that to feel one is right is equal to be able to prove that one is right. Evidence, facts and truth are steadily becoming more uncertain concepts, and conspiracy culture is made ever more present in different areas, growing more visible in discussion and public opinion.

Minimalen and Vitenskapsteoretisk forum (Vitforum) at NTNU invites you to a panel that explores what we are calling “contemporary propaganda”, focusing on how film and social media are used in the construction and distribution of conspiracy theories. Even though the use of film within conspiracy culture is far from new, the Internet, with its possibilities for streaming, online forums and viral reach, has provided new platforms for creating, expressing, sharing and being part of this culture. In the last decades, this new participatory availability has contributed to a shift from the use of film as a unique medium for propaganda from one to the many, state to the masses, to being one possibility among others for global networks based in the grassroots to gather around truths and world views.

Our three speakers will provide a look into today’s conspiracy culture. The focus of the first talk will be the Norwegian context, before the next two speakers will discuss the use of the film medium in examples such as the documentary series Zeitgeist (Peter Joseph, 2007, 2008, 2011), where questions of the image as evidence is especially pressing, and the dissemination of theories of conspiracy through YouTube monologues and video essays, by way of the controversy in game journalism known as Gamergate. After the three introductory talks we invite you to join in an open discussion.

	John Færseth is a journalist, author and public speaker. In 2013 he published the book KonspiraNorge, the first book about Norwegian communities of conspiracy theories.
	Bjørn Sørenssen is Professor Emeritus in Film and Media Studies at NTNU. His fields of research include film history, documentary film and media technology.
	Kristine Ask is an Associate Professor at NTNU. She researches Internet culture and gaming, and is particularly interested in how users these technologies develop new forms of knowledge production and interaction.