Marc Owen Jones, an associate professor at Northwestern University in Qatar and a USC UNESCO Fellow, documents in great depth and over many years how digital influence operations are reframing and normalizing violence and mass harm. (pdf)
The UNESCO Chair for Data, Media and Society in the College of Information and Communications focuses on the challenges society faces in obtaining accurate, trustworthy information. The work of the chair is broad, encompassing:
The work of the chair includes scholarly research, conferences and international partnerships. The college takes pride in work that supports UNESCO’s goals and priorities.
The UNESCO Chair partners with researchers worldwide to better understand the issues and challenges surrounding the quality and accuracy of information. We are proud to work with them and to publish their scholarship.
Our UNESCO partnership spans research, forums, and initiatives — from tracking AI public opinion to studying social media manipulation and advancing media freedom.
When UNESCO convened a major conference in Paris in 2023 to develop guidelines for regulating digital platforms, the college produced a parallel event on campus that illustrated how young people “live” social media. The forum brought together influencers and experts from across the globe and excerpts were used in the Paris conference.
Kenneth Moton, a former ABC News correspondent and USC journalism alumnus, moderates a forum with David Beasley of the World Food Programme, Audrey Azoulet of UNESCO and then USC President Harris Pastides. The forum was streamed worldwide and laid the foundation for the college’s UNESCO Chair for Data, Media and Society.
See more Reports and Initiatives »
Randy Covington, Chair Coordinator
Email: randy.covington@sc.edu
