The International Congress of the Latin American Studies Association will take place from 26th to 30th May 2026 in Paris and focus on „Republic and Revolution“. KWI will be represented by two talks.

Elizabeth Ramírez Soto will be talking about „The Feminist Afterlives of Uirá (Gustavo Dahl, 1973)“ on Tuesday 26 May from 8.30am to 10am at the Panel „Latin American Television: Beyond Digital Platforms“ in Studio H.

Carlos G. Zúñiga Nieto will be talking about „Misinformation in the Mexican Public Sphere, 1911-1913“ on Friday 29 May from 10.15 am to 11.45 am at the Panel „Circulation of Misinformation and Disinformation in Mexico“ in Studio F. Chair: Marcus J. McGee (University of Chicago), Discussant: Vanessa G. Freije (University of Washington).

About the Panel „Circulation of Misinformation and Disinformation in Mexico“:

Although scholarship has shown how politicians have invented and circulated gossip as they seek prestige, patronage, or a political advantage over rivals, media scholars have recently turned their attention to the study of forms of knowledge production and their circulation that emerge in and from them, revealing the circulation of myths, fictions, and conspiracies in Mexico’s publics. This panel focuses on the distribution of mis- and disinformation in the streets to rethink the relationship between mass-mediated journalism, nonliterate publics, and readers in the development of Mexico’s publics. The panel explores the various forms of rumor circulation, denunciations, and forgeries rooted in counternarratives, hoaxes, scams, exaggerations, or blatant falsehoods as well as in their intersections in the public sphere. What have been the forms of circulation in the creation, diffusion, and legitimization of fake news and rumors? How does gossip get created and spread, and what is its impact on nonliterate publics?
What has been the role of mis- and disinformation in the triggering and escalation of mob violence? How have technological factors aided in the proliferation of mis- and disinformation via oral transmission and in newspapers, radio, film, and online platforms? By focusing on journalists, reporters, media makers, bureaucrats, government officials, newspaper vendors, informants, and online platforms, this panel examines these questions and analyzes the notions of mis- and disinformation while critically analyzing their meanings, applications, and political ramifications.