Media and January 6th

April 12, 2024

Freedom Forum, Carroll Hall | Friday, April 12, 2024 | 10am-8:30pm

CITAP hosted Media and January 6^th on Friday April 12^th. Thank you to our fantastic panelists, moderators, and attendees! We had such great questions and engagement from our audience that allowed for rich and thoughtful discussions all around.

Did January 6^th feel unprecedented to you? Surprise! It was precedented. We learned about the historical precedent and context in each of our panels on Friday, concluding that the violence of January 6^th is reflected in similar violence in American history.

See highlights from the day and recordings of each panel below.

Understanding January 6th

Hosted by CITAP Principal Investigator Shannon McGregor, the day's first panel featured Dr. Scott Althaus (University of Illinois), Dr. Danielle Brown (Michigan State University), and CITAP Principal Investigators Drs. Alice Marwick and Francesca Tripodi. Dr. Althaus shared how his team at the Cline Center for Advanced Social Research considered the events of January 6th an attempted coup according to five criteria established in 2013. Dr. Brown compared and contrasted media representations of January 6th and BLM protests and activism, calling attention to the anti-Black, racist contexts in which terms like “riot” have been historically deployed. Dr. Marwick highlights how “radicalization” as a concept emerged in a context of post-9/11, widespread Islamophobia and fear of the “Other;” as such, “far-right radicalization” misconstrues the normative, mainstream aspects of many far-right tenets. Dr. Tripodi considers how search engines can legitimate and validate preexisting worldviews, and how politicians can wield the power of search engines to organize socially harmful efforts. Dr. McGregor considers how oversaturation of the term “unprecedented” in media coverage of January 6th can lend the events a false sense of exceptionalism—something panelists note is dangerous insofar as it pushes a patriotic mythology of the contemporary American political climate rather than face reality.

Researching Threats to Democracy

Hosted by Dr. Rebekah Tromble (George Washington University), the second panel featured speakers Dr. Regina Lawrence, (Univerisity of Oregon, Portland), Dr. Jennifer Stromer-Galley (Syracuse University), Dr. Yunkang Yang (Texas A&M University), and Dr. Dave Karpf (George Washington University). Speakers emphasize the urgency with which researchers must meet this current sociopolitical moment to ensure the continued health of U.S. democracy. Dr. Lawrence asserts the attack on democracy did not end on January 6th, but was rather “a particularly conspicuous moment in a longstanding and ongoing assault on democracy.” Dr. Stromer-Galley reiterates the importance of considering the role of communication in the lead-up to January 6th, and argues former President Trumps claims of a stolen election laid the groundwork for public distrust in the U.S. electoral process, creating the conditions for the attack on the Capitol. Dr. Yang considers the role of right-wing media outlets in whitewashing and redirecting blame related to the attack on the U.S. Capitol. Dr. Karpf contends it is necessary for there to be consequences for both Capitol rioters as well as politicians and other elites facilitating the contexts in which events like those occurring on January 6th are made possible.

Defending Democracy

Hosted by Dr. Khadijah Costley White (Rutgers University), the third panel featured speakers Dr. Meredith Clark (Northeastern University), Dr. Silvio Waisbord (George Washington University), and Dr. Paul E. Johnson (University of Pittsburgh). Dr. Costley White opened the panel by imploring us to not just protect the democracy we have, but also are vigilant in recognizing the failures of our democracy both historically and at present. Dr. Clark reiterates this, noting the need to confront U.S. journalism’s legacy of normalizing the disposability of children, as well as Black death and dehumanization. Dr. Waisbord invites us to ask important questions as we work to defend democracy, including: Are we making progress? If yes, how do we know? And do enemies of democracy fear current informational approaches? Dr. Johnson considers the historical trajectory of “democracy” becoming a bad word in the U.S., how the January 6th coup is a logical extension of this trajectory, and how the journalistic and political paradox of tolerance versus how this can be abused as an anti-democratic weapon.

Media, January 6th, and American History

In the event’s closing conversation, CITAP principal investigators Drs. Daniel Kreiss and Tressie McMillan Cottom and Dr. Dannagal Young (University of Delaware) consider past conversations throughout the day, how they relate to January 6, and how we may move forward. Dr. Young discusses the demand side of misinformation, and how many turn to the “Big Lie” that the 2020 Presidential election was stolen to satisfy fundamental needs for comprehension, control, and community. Dr. Cottom underscores the importance of acknowledging that, even if participants in the January 6th coup were unsuccessful in accomplishing all of their goals, that does not mean they did not accomplish some of their aims. Dr. Kreiss recenters the long history of political violence in the U.S., and noting the continued fragility of the U.S. as a democracy that is truly accessible to all across ethnoracial boundaries.

Photo Gallery

A woman with curly hair and a green floral dress stands speaking at a lectern with a microphone, set against a backdrop of large windows with sunlight streaming in.

A conference room scene where attendees are seated at rows of tables facing a panel of speakers. A screen in the background displays the title 'MEDIA, JANUARY 6TH, AND AMERICAN HISTORY.'

A man in a business suit with a name tag reading 'Scott Althaus' sits at a table with a coffee cup, smiling slightly and looking to the side, with a digital screen displaying an architectural image in the background.

A woman with curly hair gestures with her hands while speaking, seated at a table with a name tag reading 'Shannon McGregor' and a blue cloth front.

Three professionals seated at a conference table with name tags and microphones.

One professional seated at a conference table with "Scott Althaus" on his name tag and microphones, with the male speaker gesturing with his hands during a discussion.

A focused panel discussion with three female experts seated at a conference table with name tags, one speaker clasping her hands while talking.

Two female panelists engaged in discussion at a conference, one gesturing with her hands raised, seated at a table with digital screens in the background.

A panel discussion in progress with an attentive audience in the foreground, focusing on five panelists seated at a table with a backdrop reading "THREATS TO DEMOCRACY."

Three panelists at a conference, with a man on the left looking down, a woman in the center speaking and clasping her hands, and another woman on the right looking down and taking notes.

A male panelist- Dave Karpf- in a grey button down and glasses speaks at a panel, with a bottle of water and a cup of coffee in front of him.

Conference panel with a man on the left, a central female speaker actively gesturing with her hands, and another woman on the right with a contemplative expression.

A conference panel with three speakers, the woman in the center speaking and looking to her left, while the man and woman on either side listen attentively.

A male panelist in a black suit, white shirt, and glasses speaking at a panel, with a bottle of water on the table in front of him.

A female conference panelist in a black jacket speaking and gesturing, with a female panelist to her left and a male panelist to her right looking towards her.

A panel discussion from the audience's perspective, showing three speakers at the front with their nameplates. From left to right, 'Khadijah Costley White,' 'Meredith Clark,' and 'Silvio Waisbord.' The middle speaker is gesturing while talking. The audience's backs are in the foreground, and a 'DEFENDING DEMOCRACY' banner is on the screen behind.

A woman with tied-up hair and hoop earrings speaks at a panel, gesturing with her hand. She's wearing a green dress with black floral patterns. In front of her is a nameplate with 'Khadijah Costley White' from Rutgers University, a laptop, and a bottle of water on a blue tablecloth.

A wide panel discussion scene with three participants. A woman on the left side is partially cropped out, and a man in the center is speaking and gesturing with his hand, with a nameplate reading 'Silvio Waisbord.' Another man on the right appears to be listening, looking down with a hand on his chin. They sit at a table with a blue tablecloth and microphones in front of them.

A woman with tied-up hair and hoop earrings speaks at a panel, sits at the panel table, now looking to her right with a contemplative expression. She's wearing a green dress with black floral patterns. In front of her is a nameplate with 'Khadijah Costley White' from Rutgers University, a laptop, and a bottle of water on a blue tablecloth.

A man with salt-and-pepper hair and a beard appears in a candid moment during a panel discussion, looking to the side. He has a coffee cup in one hand and a laptop in front of him. His nameplate reads 'Silvio Waisbord' from George Washington University, and a microphone is also visible on the table with a blue tablecloth.

A professional woman with short hair and glasses is sitting at a panel table with a microphone, a nameplate reading 'Meredith Clark,' and a laptop in front of her. She's wearing a camel-colored jacket over a black top, gesturing with her hands mid-conversation. A coffee cup and a blurred background are visible.

A male panelist in a gray suit with an orange t-shirt underneath is gesturing with his right hand while speaking at the conference.

A woman in a vibrant green blazer is raising her hand while speaking at a panel discussion. She has shoulder-length braided hair pulled back in a ponytail. A laptop and a notepad are in front of her, and a nameplate indicates she is Tressie McMillan Cottom.

A professional woman with mid-length blonde hair is speaking at a panel. She's wearing a dark blazer, gesturing with her hand, and has a serious expression. A nameplate in front reads 'Dannagal Young' from the University of Delaware. A bottle of water and a smartphone are placed on the table with a blue tablecloth.

A man with a beard and wearing a green jacket is smiling and looking to the side while seated at a panel discussion. A laptop is in front of him, and on the table are a green glass bottle, a black thermos, and a smartphone. His nameplate reads 'Daniel Kreiss' from UNC Chapel Hill.

A woman with blonde mid-length hair is captured speaking during a panel discussion. She wears a black blazer and is making a hand gesture. A water bottle and smartphone are placed on a blue tablecloth in front of her, and a nameplate identifies her as 'Dannagal Young' from the University of Delaware.

A man with a beard and wearing a green jacket is gesturing with his hand and looking forward as if he is explaining something. A laptop is in front of him, and on the table are a green glass bottle, a black thermos, and a smartphone. His nameplate reads 'Daniel Kreiss' from UNC Chapel Hill."