#Election2016: Is this what ‘truthiness’ looks like?
USC experts can speak on how ‘fact-checking’ has affected the presidential campaigns leading up to the final debate and is hosting a viewing of the final debate and a pre-debate panel, “Politics as Theatre.”
Contact: Gretchen Meier at gmeier@usc.edu or (213) 740-6973
Much political discussion, especially this election cycle, is virtually indistinguishable from discussions about theater, namely narrative, costumes, design elements and the quality of the candidate’s performances. This debate panel and viewing aims to showcase the connectivity of policy and the dramatic arts on the political stage.
The “Politics as Theatre” panel will include:
- Richard Green, professor and vice chair, department of policy analysis and real estate at the USC Price School of Public Policy (moderator)
- Christina Haatainen-Jones, costume designer, and head of design and associate professor at the USC School of Dramatic Arts
- Oliver Mayer, playwright, and associate dean of strategic initiatives and associate professor at the USC School of Dramatic Arts
- Pamela McCann, assistant professor at the USC Price School of Public Policy, and expert in national political maneuvering and policy
- William G. Resh, assistant professor at the USC Price School of Public Policy, and expert on the U.S. presidency
The panel will be held on Oct. 19 in Ralph and Goldy Lewis Hall beginning at 5:15 p.m. The presidential debate will begin at 6 p.m. and a post-debate discussion will follow from 7:30 to 8 p.m.
To attend this event, please RSVP to Delphine Vasko at dvasko@usc.edu.
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Facts versus the ‘big picture’
“There’s a real concern that when fact-checkers repeat the wrong information along with the fact, they keep the false information going. You may potentially do the work of the other side.
“In the case of Donald Trump’s campaign, he has found that details are less important than telling the big picture. As long as his ‘big picture’ remains consistent, the overall picture he presents feels right to his supporters.”
Norbert Schwarz is a provost professor in the Department of Psychology at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, professor in the marketing department at the USC Marshall School of Business and founding co-director of the USC Dornsife Mind & Society Center.
Contact: norbert.schwarz@usc.edu
Hear more from Schwarz and the role of “truthiness” in politics here.
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Their own brand of facts
“It seems that facts do not matter in this election. Trump supporters do not seem to be swayed by them, and Clinton is attacked no matter what she says or how factual she is. Trump is effective at repeating branded words that he makes up about his opponents, such as crooked Hillary, even though he is involved in 1,300 lawsuits since 2000.”
Ira Kalb is an assistant professor of clinical marketing at the USC Marshall School of Business.
Contact: (310) 829-9790 or ikalb@marshall.usc.edu
Read Kalb’s op-ed in The Huffington Post “Five reasons Trump’s communication strategy is working.”
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