Silencing the Academics: ‘Mainstream academic Constraints on African-American studies’
In this talk, Professor Jared Ball discusses the context in which the field of Black-Africana studies is situated within the Western academy and the challenges and various pressures exerted upon academics at traditionally black colleges in the United States. How is academic discourse at present affected by strange paradoxes? He presents a perspective that is hardly broached about a field of study that had emerged as an officially unsanctioned intellectual bloc of the black liberation struggle which has since become elemental to the sanctioned effort by the state to suppress collective memory of that struggle. The talk deconstructs keywords such as “colonisation”, “insurgency”, “empire”, and “citizen” to bring clarity to W.E.B. DuBois' concept of the “propaganda of history”. Jared can be found@imixwhatilikeon most social media, and his decades ofemancipatory journalism, media, writing, and political work can be found atimixwhatilike.org.
Symposium: Silencing the Academics: ‘Smear Campaigns and Researching the War in Syria’
In 2017 Dr. Piers Robinson established the Working Group on Syria, Media and Propaganda which was quickly subjected to mainstream/corporate media attacks. In this presentation, Piers describes these character assassination/smear attacks as well as setting out the motivations for them. The controversy the working group had stumbled upon was that of a strategic deception, perpetrated by the US, UK and French governments, regarding chemical weapons attacks in Syria and the corruption and manipulation of the Fact Finding Missions (FFMs) co-ordinated by the OPCW (Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).
Symposium: Silencing the Academics: 'Writing Truth to Power and the Battle to Publish'
Professor Oliver Boyd-Barrett develops a discussion of the larger historical context in which states have intervened in the policing of public speech and have attempted to control only the 'acceptable' ideas, the 'official' points of view, and the (re)production of knowledge.
Symposium: Silencing the Academics: David Miller, 'Battling the Israel Lobby'
Dr David Miller’s presentation sets out the details of his experience at the University of Bristol, the concerted campaign to smear him, his firing, and then the subsequent and successful industrial tribunal which found that Bristol University guilty of unfair dismissal. David’s vindication was also a land mark ruling protecting the right to criticise Zionism.
Opening Remarks to the Symposium: Silencing the Academics
Dr. Piers Robinson introduces the presenters and outlines the Organisation for Propaganda Studies and Propaganda In Focus.
Introduction to Propaganda In Focus
Dr. Piers Robinson introduces Propaganda In Focus and outlines the importance of propaganda study in modern discourse.
