Dr. Jason Hannan, Associate Professor in the University of Winnipeg’s Department of Rhetoric, Writing, and Communications, researches the truth in politics and discourse; examining how disinformation, conspiracy theory, and populism is undermining democracy. His new work explains how the toxic online culture of trolling is moving beyond the internet into the public sphere and what that means for society.

On this episode the research question is: “How are we trolling ourselves to death?”

Episode Credits

Written, Narrated and Produced by Kent Davies

UWRQ Logo by Kimberley Moore

Interviews

Dr. Jason Hannan, Interviewed by Kent Davies, January 19, 2024. Digital Remote Recording. Digital Audio Recording. “Research Question Podcast,” Oral History Centre Archive, University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, MB.

Music

Lee Rosevere – Let’s start at the beginning, Puzzle pieces

Silicone Transmitter – Relic #1

Blue Dot Sessions – Mile Marker, Delle’s Fog, Messy Inkwell, Crosswire, House of Grendel, Plasticity, Leatherbound, Krotoa

Sounds

Uwesoundboiz – texting button presses 

Coldwellw – Apple_Keyboard_1

Yottasounds – computer keyboard – typing sounds

Verum384 – keyboard3

ChazzRavenelle – Smart Phone Texting Sound and Vibrate

Selected Readings

Hannan, Jason, ed. David I. Backer, Chris Balaschak, Makeda Best, Charles Bingham, Christopher Gilbert, Lewis A. Friedland, Francis Halsall, et al. Truth in the Public Sphere. Lexington Books, 2016.

Hannan, Jason. Ethics under capital: MacIntyre, communication, and the culture wars. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2019.

Hannon, Jason. Trolling Ourselves to Death: Democracy in the Age of Social Media. Oxford University Press, 2024.

MacIntyre, Alasdair. After virtue. A&C Black, 2013.

Phillips, Whitney. This is why we can’t have nice things: Mapping the relationship between online trolling and mainstream culture. Mit Press, 2015.

Postman, Neil Amusing ourselves to death: Public discourse in the age of show business. Penguin, 1985.