Mexico Virtual Lecture Series
Disinformation & Populist Narratives Against Electoral Integrity
The twentieth century has witnessed the emergence of old political narratives oriented towards a simplified explanation of social problems. Populist communication frames have gained traction across a wide range of voters globally since they a) promote a simplified understanding of social life as the permanent tension between good-innocent people and bad-corrupt individuals, and b) because they single out individuals and social groups as the culprits of complex social problems. Populist attitudes predict people’s willingness to believe false information that reinforces their view of the world.
Increasing distrust in journalism has dented the media's watchdog role in a more horizontal digital landscape. Thus, a paradox has materialized in various democracies around the world. The more platforms for information production, distribution, and consumption accessible to the public, the easier it has become to foster distrust in democratic institutions and electoral results. This is particularly worrying in countries, like Mexico, with longstanding distrust in government officials, public institutions, political parties, media and democratic elections.
Julio Juárez Gámiz
Julio Juárez Gámiz conducts research on political advertising, mass media coverage of elections, electoral debates, and political communication. He was the first Fulbright-Garcia Robles COMEXUS Mexico Studies Chair hosted at the University of Notre Dame and co-sponsored by Notre Dame’s Mexico Global Center and Kellogg Institute for International Development. Juárez Gámiz has worked with top marketing research firms to analyze political communication in the 2012 presidential election and carried out electoral observation projects under the supervision of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Mexico’s 2009 and 2012 federal elections. He previously worked as a senior advisor to the General Council’s Presidency at the National Electoral Institute. He is currently Professor of Political Communication at UNAM’s Center for Interdisciplinary Research in the Sciences and Humanities (CEIICH).
PLEASE NOTE: Indicated event times are Eastern Daylight Time (11:00 - 12:30pm CDT).
The Mexico Virtual Lecture Series is a recurring online event intended to highlight the deep connections between Notre Dame and Mexico. Each lecture focuses on the current work of a Notre Dame faculty member or researcher, covering topics that vary widely from medical research to the social sciences and arts and culture.
The series is intended for a general audience and can be viewed via Zoom. Pre-registration for the session is requested and the Zoom link will be made available once registration is received.