Texas Exes Virtual Lunchtime Lecture – “Social Media, Propaganda, and Elections”

Explore the ways in which social media and other digital platforms are used as tools for spreading propaganda, disinformation and politically motivated harassment. Dr. Sam Woolley from the Moody College of Communication will provide examples from the 2020 election and other international political events to support his research and findings.

RSVP today, grab your lunch, and join us from the comfort of your couch for our November event.

Texas Exes, a non-profit organization, is excited to bring the series to you free of charge. If you can, please consider making a donation when registering to help us continue to engage alumni and students across the globe.

Meet the Guest Speaker: Dr. Sam Woolley

Assistant Professor, School of Journalism and Media, Moody College of Communication

Samuel C. Woolley is an assistant professor in the School of Journalism at the University of Texas at Austin. He is also the project director for propaganda research at the Center for Media Engagement (CME) at UT.

Woolley is currently a research associate at the Project for Democracy and the Internet at Stanford University. He has held past research affiliations at the Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford and the Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society (CITRIS) at the University of California at Berkeley.

Woolley’s research is focused on how emergent technologies are used in and around global political communication. His work on computational propaganda—the use of social media in attempts to manipulate public opinion—has revealed the ways in which a wide variety of political groups in the United States and abroad have leveraged tools such as bots and trending algorithms and tactics of disinformation and trolling in efforts to control information flows online.

Please note: Virtual event link will be sent to registered attendees the week of the lecture. Registration closes Wednesday, October 28.