[Commlist] CARP 2019 Conference: Character Assassination and Populism

*CARP 2019: Character Assassination and Populism: Challenges and Responses*


George Mason University’s Character Assassination and Reputation 
Politics (CARP) Research Lab 
<http://communication.gmu.edu/research-and-centers/carp/>hosts its 
second international conference “Character Assassination and Populism: 
Challenges and Responses” on*March 15-17, 2019*.

The three-day conference will feature over 40 presentations on C.A. 
theory and research by scholars and professionals from 20 countries. The 
full schedule is available online 
<https://communication.gmu.edu/research-and-centers/carp/2019-conference>https://communication.gmu.edu/research-and-centers/carp/2019-conference


One primary characteristic of today’s global society is the growing 
public distrust in many traditional authorities. In the context of this 
institutional legitimacy crisis, there is a great demand for new voices 
to trust. These changes provide opportunities for populists and 
charismatic opinion leaders of all kinds to promote their agendas and 
influence public opinion. Populist politicians often become primary 
newsmakers for clickbait content in the media that proliferates personal 
opinions, falsehoods, and unwarranted ad hominem attacks. Their 
belligerent rhetoric also normalizes the culture of incivility which has 
negative consequences for civil debate in a well-functioning democracy.

The keynote address and two professional panels will address the 
phenomenon of character assassination and populism across a crowded and 
diverse media “spectrum” – including social media and strategic 
communication campaigns – to explore the impacts of populism, how and 
when it occurs, governance, and safeguards.


*Saturday, March 16*
*
*
*1:30 – 2:30 pm*
/Keynote Address:/*Shawn Turner*, President of MPACT Communication, 
Professor of Strategic Communication at Michigan State University

*2:30 - 3:45 pm*
/Professional Panel: Political Character, Populism, and the Future of 
Media /
Moderator:* Richard Sheehe*, Mason Senior Research Fellow and Senior 
Strategist, The Merritt Group

  * *Salena Zito*, CNN Contributor and National Political Reporter,
    Washington Examiner
  * *Jeremy Mayer *(George Mason U), Associate Professor, The Schar
    School of Policy and Government
  * *Stephen J. Farnsworth* (U of Mary Washington), Director, Center for
    Leadership and Media Studies


*4:00 - 5:15 pm*
Professional Panel: /Strategic Communication Campaigns in the Age of 
Social Media/
Moderator: *Nancy Snow* (Kyoto U of Foreign Studies, Japan), Professor 
Emeritus, California State U, Fullerton; Pax Mundi Professor of Public 
Diplomacy

  * *Maj. Gen. Mari K. Eder*, US Army (Ret.), President & CEO, Benson’s
    ReView, LLC and Commander (Fmr.), Joint and Special Troops Support
    Command
  * *Monica Enqvist*, Head of Press, Communication and Culture
    Department at Embassy of Sweden
  * *John Rendon*, President & CEO, The Rendon Group



*Background*: The Research Lab for Character Assassination and 
Reputation Politics (CARP) includes scholars with disciplinary homes in 
psychology, history, communication and public relations. With 
investigators from both George Mason University and the University of 
Amsterdam, the CARP team focuses efforts along 3 main dimensions: 
research on historical and contemporary examples of character 
assassination; education for academic and public audiences about 
character assassination causes, impacts and prevention; and risk 
assessment to determine vulnerabilities and mitigation strategies for 
public figures concerned about their reputations.




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