In 2016, the Oxford English Dictionary declared ‘post-truth’ its ‘Word of the Year’, which it defined as ‘relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief’. That definition certainly fits the way many commentators viewed Donald Trump’s election as US president and the UK’s vote to leave the European Union. Post-truth, however, is by no means solely an Anglo-Saxon phenomenon.
But how new is this ‘post-truth’ society Do we really live in a ‘post-truth’ society? If so, what does that mean for politics and democracy? Are we headed for an era in which politicians win elections by appealing to emotions rather than facts?
Speaking at the event will be:
- Thodoris Georgakopoulos, writer and journalist; editorial director, diaNEOsis
- Luke Gittos, criminal lawyer; Director of City of London Appeals Clinic; legal editor and author
- Dr. Anna Nikolaou, adjunct professor at Hellenic American University)
- Menelaos Tzafalias , freelance journalist and producer
- Moderator: Ashley Frawley, senior lecturer in Sociology and Social Policy, Swansea University, author
The event is being organized by the Hellenic American College in cooperation with Hellenic American Union and the Institute of Ideas.
Date: Monday, November 13th, at 19:30
Venue: The Rooftop Café (8th floor), Hellenic American Union, Massalias Street, Athens.
Admission is free of charge.
Image: A panel discussion in English on post-truth
