Myth, Rumour and Misinformation: A day of interdisciplinary discussion from folklore to fake news

Tuesday 26 July 2022, 9.30AM to 5.30pm

Speaker(s): Professor Marylyn Carrigan (Edinburgh Business School, Heriot-Watt University) and Dr Eliran Bar-El (University of York)

Myth, rumour and misinformation have been features of human society since the dawn of civilisation. From the earliest folk tales to high-tech online propaganda campaigns, people have used these tools to persuade, deceive, and even to make sense of their lived experience of the world around them.

Join us at the University of York Sociology department’s beautiful lakeside home for a day of discussion, networking, and talks on all things mythic and fallacious.

We are delighted to present keynote addresses from Professor Marylyn Carrigan (Edinburgh Business School, Heriot-Watt University) and Dr Eliran Bar-El (University of York). Register via Eventbrite to book your ticket (admission £5).

In-person event with live online stream. Refreshments and lunch will be provided free of charge to all attendees and speakers.

Use our campus map and directions to plan your journey.

Programme of events

Time	Session
9am - 9.30am	Welcome/Registration
9.30am - 9.40am	Opening remarks
9.40am - 10.40am	Keynote PROFESSOR MARYLIN CARRIGAN Herriot-Watt University @thistleprof The Myth of Ethical Consumption
10.40am - 10.55am	Break (Tea/Coffee provided)
10.55am - 12pm	Panel 1 MODERN SKEPTICISM ASTA ZELENKAUSKAITE (remote) Drexel University, USA @astaze Rumour circulation online: capitalizing on time, affect, and the paradox of information abundance. ANDREW MACDONALD University of York @andymacphd “Arguably, climate change is a good thing!”: Climate skepticism in the UK media from 2017 to 2022. YOUNES YASSNI (Remote) Faculty of Oussoul Eddine and Dialogue of Civilizations, Tetouan, Morocco The Rise of Conspiracy Theories and Anti-vax Discourse Among Moroccans in the Era of COVID-19 Pandemic. MAGGIE GAMBERTON, University of York Myth, Rumour and Misinformation in the Narrative War for Ukraine
12pm - 1pm	Lunch / Poster competition
1pm - 2pm	KEYNOTE DR ELIRAN BAR-EL University of York The Facts at Stake: Intellectual Authority in the Digital Age
2pm - 3.05pm	Panel 2 COMMUNICATION KIRSTY L. JOHNSTONE University of Sheffield @KLJpsych No gesture too small: A discussion into the ability of gestural information to mislead children’s memory of a witnessed event in 5-16-year-olds. ABRIL RODRÍGUEZ VÁSQUEZ University of York @holabril Credibility and public perception of scientific knowledge from an institutional perspective. TAJUDEEN SANNI Kampala International University Between Controlling “Lugambo” and Constitutional Liberties: The Legal Dynamics of Social Media Regulation in Uganda. MATTHEW BUTLER University of York Left unsaid: eliding explicit reference of controversial matters.
3.05pm - 3.20pm	Break (Tea/Coffee provided)
3.20pm - 4.25pm	Panel 3 POLITICS CATHERINE STINTON University of York @cath_stinton The Great Replacement Theory: Fascism’s Unifying Myth. ADAM DINSMORE University of York @apDinsmore Beyond the usual suspects: Populist myths and ‘Keyser Söze elites’. HANNAH GUY Manchester Metropolitan University @hannahvicg Using visual disinformation to spread Islamophobia across the media: The case of the Westminster Bridge photograph. RHIANNON GRIFFITHS University of York The Man, the Myth, the Legend: remembering Justice Pal and “so-called” war crimes in post-war Japan.
4.25pm - 5.30pm	Panel 4 MEDIA and CULTURE RÜYA B. KALINTAŞ (Remote) Kadir Has University The Politics of Gender and Sexuality in Alevi Theatre. JOE ONDRAK Sheffield Hallam University / Logically @TheOndrakGuy From Creepypasta to the Capitol: Fourth Generation Digital Fiction, Non-Consensual Playspaces, and Narrative Radicalisation. CHLOE TURNER University of York @myths.women.make “The Gods are like publishers, usually male...”: The Poetic Potential for Anti-Stereotypical Myth. ESTHER WILSON University of York @EstherJTweets “Netflix’s The Crown and “The People’s Princess”: Making History in the Digital Sphere”.
5.30pm	Closing remarks

Please note programme is subject to change.

Location: LMB 002 (Lecture Hall), Department of Sociology, Law and Management Building. Venue is wheelchair accessible and has an induction loop hearing system available.

Admission: £5

Email: myth-conference@york.ac.uk