Distinguished Scholar-Teacher Lecture: Censorship, Disinformation, and the Immorality of Hatred

Censorship and disinformation are driven by fear of social change and employed to silence the voices and perspectives of others. Both censorship and disinformation have played increasingly significant and damaging roles in society, politics, and expression in recent years, fueling and amplifying major changes in legislation and rulings by courts that are narrowing or eliminating the protected rights of many Americans. While they typically are discussed as entirely independent issues, censorship and disinformation are in fact closely linked. This talk will examine the interrelationships of censorship and disinformation, exploring their combined current and potential future impacts on individual rights and the law, as well as ways in which information professionals can create coordinated responses to both.

Dr. Paul T. Jaeger, PhD, JD, MEd, MLS, is a Professor and Distinguished Scholar-Teacher in the College of Information Studies, Director of the Museum Scholarship and Material Culture graduate program, and Associate Director of the Maryland Initiative for Digital Accessibility at the University of Maryland. He studies the impacts of law and policy on information access and behavior, focusing on human rights and civil rights. He is the author of 20 books and more than 200 journal articles and book chapters. He is an editor of Library Quarterly and Including Disability, and co-chair of the Including Disability Global Summit.

Dr. Jaeger is a recipient of the UMD 2023 Distinguished Scholar teacher award. Join the UMD INFO college and UMD Provost Jennifer King Rice for this lecture and recognition of Dr. Jaeger, followed by a reception. All are welcome to join this free talk and event. Registration required.

Please contact ischoolevents@umd.edu at least one week prior to the event to request disability accommodations. In all situations, a good faith effort (up until the time of the event) will be made to provide accommodations.