Political communications expert Andrea Carson joins Democracy Sausage to discuss social media, misinformation and disinformation and what ideas, if any, are actually landing with a disengaged electorate.  

Which campaign messages are cutting through in both traditional and social media? Are mis- and disinformation seducing the electorate any more than in the past? And are we now seeing social media impact not only how campaigns are run, but also how policy is designed? 

On this episode of Democracy Sausage, Professor Andrea Carson joins Professor Mark Kenny and Dr Marija Taflaga to discuss the ‘subterranean’ election campaign – the crackpot memes, AI videos and Gen Z-courting content that could shape votes and policy.  

Andrea Carson is a is Associate Dean, Research, Industry and Engagement with the School of Humanities and Social Sciences and Professor of Political Communication in the Department of Politics, Media and Philosophy at La Trobe University. She is also an award-winning former journalist.  

Marija Taflaga is the Director of the ANU Australian Politics Studies Centre and a Lecturer at the ANU School of Politics and International Relations. 

Mark Kenny is the Director of the ANU Australian Studies Institute. He came to the University after a high-profile journalistic career including six years as chief political correspondent and national affairs editor for The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and The Canberra Times. 

Democracy Sausage with Mark Kenny is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. We’d love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes to [email protected]. 

This podcast is produced by The Australian National University. 

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