Around the world, the rise of populist movements is contributing to the spread of conspiracy narratives. Social media platforms and messengers provide a fertile ground for conspiracy narratives that mobilize people, reinforce anti-Semitic and anti-pluralist thinking, and also destabilize and divide societies. In a time of fake truth and alternative facts, how much impact do such narratives have – and what can be done to correct them?
Join the American Council on Germany and the German Consulate General New York for the next installment of the virtual series “Dealing with Disinformation”. NPR journalist Shannon Bond and Pia Lamberty, Managing Director of the Center for Monitoring, Analysis and Strategy gGmbH, will join us on Thursday, February 29, at 11:00 AM ET to discuss the challenge of conspiracy narratives and share ideas for countermeasures.
Shannon Bond is a correspondent at NPR who reports on the impact of misleading narratives and false claims on society and democracy. She formerly covered technology for NPR’s Business Desk, where she focused on the major players in Silicon Valley and how they change our daily lives, as well as the way we work and communicate.
Ms. Bond spent 11 years as a reporter and editor at the Financial Times in New York and San Francisco. She co-hosted the award-winning FT podcast “Alphachat” which focuses on business and economics. She holds a master’s degree in journalism from Northwestern University’s Medill School and a bachelor’s degree in psychology and religion from Columbia University.
Pia Lamberty is a psychologist who conducts research on conspiracy ideologies. As the Managing Director of the Center for Monitoring, Analysis and Strategy gGmbH, which she co-founded in 2021, she is at the nexus of science and society and provides evidence-based information on conspiracy narratives, disinformation, anti-Semitism, and right-wing extremism. The non-profit organization addresses current developments in the above-mentioned fields and advises decision-makers from civil society, media, and politics.
Together with Katharina Nocun, Ms. Lamberty published the bestselling non-fiction book “Fake Facts – Wie Verschwörungstheorien unser Denken bestimmen” (“Fake Facts – How Conspiracy Theories Influence Our Thinking”) in 2020. Afterwards they published “True Facts – Was gegen Verschwörungserzählungen wirklich hilft” (“True Facts – What Really Helps to Counter Conspiracy Narratives”) followed by “Gefährlicher Glaube – Die radikale Gedankenwelt der Esoterik” (“Dangerous Beliefs – The Radical World of Esoteric Thought”).
