The Centre for Analytics and Behavioural Change is a non-profit organisation that aims to effect positive change using social media analytics and dialogue.
Democratic participation, civic education and the GNU
In this episode, Associate Professor Camaren Peter, Executive Director at the CABC sits down with Wellington Radu, who is the Regional Head of Programs for Southern Africa at Futurelect, to reflect on this year’s elections. Topics of conversation include encouraging democratic participation, particularly among the youth, and the role social media played in the elections. Radu shares his perspectives on the Government (GNU) and the opportunity it presents.
11 Aug 2022
The role of mis and disinformation in the media and its effects on democracy
Listen to the new episode of the Pulse as we interview Chris Roper the deputy CEO for the continent’s largest federation of civic technology and data journalism labs, Code for Africa (CfA). Chris also serves as director for CfA’s forensic data initiative, the African Network of Centres for Investigative Reporting (ANCIR). From 2015 - 2019, Chris’ role at CfA was underwritten by a Knight International Fellowship, with the International Centre for Journalists. Prior to joining CfA, Chris was editor-in-chief of the Mail & Guardian, and editor-in-chief of 24.com
9 Dec 2021
THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTION 2021
Camaren Peter, PhD, Executive Director of the Centre for Analytics and Behavioural Change (CABC) and Ebrahim Fakir , Director of Programmes at the Auwal Socio Economic Research Institute (ASRI) delve into how social media was used during the South African Local Government Elections 2021 as well as engage in a broader discussion the role of social media in elections. This discussion also follows a series of research articles over the election period which can be found at www.cabc.org.za
21 Jul 2021
The Media: Mirror or Machete? The Role of the Media in Covering the Crisis (Part 2).
A Prof Camaren Peter, Executive Director of the CABC interrogates traditional and social media's role in reporting, analysing and fueling the unrest with Heather Robertson, editor of Daily Maverick 168 and Herman Wasserman Senior Research Associate of the CABC.
21 Jul 2021
The Media: Mirror or Machete? The Role of the Media in Covering the Crisis (Part 1).
A Prof Camaren Peter, Executive Director of the CABC interrogates traditional and social media's role in reporting, analysing and fueling the unrest with Heather Robertson, editor of Daily Maverick 168 and Herman Wasserman Senior Research Associate of the CABC.
8 Dec 2020
Caolan Robertson - Part 3 of 3. What Next? A Conversation about Addressing ‘Fake News’ in the Future
The final conversation with Caolan is a conversation about solutions, and about the future. Caolan has a unique perspective on how the right-wing media operates and what has made it so successful, in this episode we discuss the complexity of working to address disinformation, ‘fake news’ and hate speech online. This episode looks at what Caolan is working on right now, and what he thinks may be effective in responding to and weakening right-wing narrative manipulation occurring in South Africa.
Caolan Robertson: Former Far-Right Movie Producer, Currently Director at ByLine Times
Adam Armstrong: Project Head - Digital Narrative Manipulation, Centre for Analytics and Behavioural Change
8 Dec 2020
Caolan Robertson - Part 2 of 3. A Journey Into and Out of the ‘Far Right’
In this episode Coalan discusses his journey into the ‘far right’, as well as his decision to leave. Coalan worked with a number of the leading figures in the alt-right media space, including Lauren Southern, Alex Jones, Mike Cernovich, Milo Yiannopoulos, Roger Stone, Tommy Robinson and Stefan Molyneux. The content that he created resulted in hundreds of millions of views, and over time he became disillusioned with those in the far-right media space. In this interview Caolan discusses his reasons for entering the right, as well as his reasons for leaving.
8 Dec 2020
Caolan Robertson - Part 1 of 3. farmlands - The Making of a Misleading ‘Documentary’
Caolan Robertson (pronounced “kay-lin) was one of the central figures in making right-wing politics mainstream, he worked with people like Tommy Robinson and helped them move from ‘fringe’ to mainstream political commentators. Caolan has since distanced himself from right-wing politics and is now working for ByLine Times. He now works to undo the work he did before. Caolan is going to be interviewed in a feature piece in the New York Times in the next few months. This interview that Caolan did exclusively with the CABC is one of his first public appearances since leaving the right-wing political media space.
Lauren Southern’s 2018 documentary ‘Farmlands’ is the most-watched documentary on the white-genocide narrative in South Africa. Caolan Robertson, and his partner George Llewelyn-John, produced, wrote and filmed Farmlands (and Borderless) with Lauren Southern. In this episode Caolan explains how Farmlands was filmed, and the ideas behind the documentary. Caolan discusses his discomfort with the film and the fact that even though they knew during filming that there was no white genocide taking place in South Africa, that argument runs throughout the film.
19 Oct 2020
Jean Le Roux Expose - Part 3 of 3. Fake News – Not Just an American Problem!
This is the 3rd episode in the 3-part series recorded with Jean Le Roux, a Research Associate at the Digital Forensic Research Lab. In this episode Jean explains what misinformation and disinformation mean for us as South Africans, he explains how it is that ‘fake news’ affects us here in southern Africa and what we can do to address this and to keep ourselves safe from coordinated disinformation campaigns. Jean also explains the important work of the Digital Forensic Research Lab, and how they endeavour to make the internet safer and more honest.
19 Oct 2020
Jean Le Roux Expose - Part 2 of 3. Guptabots and Disinformation in South Africa
This episode, the 2nd in a special three-part series with Jean Le Roux, Adam and Jean discuss Jean’s career trajectory, how he went from a qualified lawyer to forensic analyst to digital detective. Jean’s story starts with his seeing journalist being attacked online in November 2015, the journalist was being challenged online for exposing possible corruption involving then-President Jacob Zuma and the Gupta family. Jean realised that he had found the coordinated disinformation being run by the ‘Guptabots’; his research became instrumental in exposing the White Monopoly Capital narrative – one of the first large-scale disinformation campaigns run on Twitter in South Africa.
19 Oct 2020
Jean Le Roux Expose - Part 1 of 3. Who is @uLerato_pillay?
In this episode Adam Armstrong speaks to Jean Le Roux, a Research Associate at Digital Forensic Research Lab, about Jean Le Roux’s recent article, in which Jean and the DFLR reveal the real-world identity of a Twitter user that has been driving the xenophobic #PutSouthAfricansFirst campaign in South Africa. Jean revealed that the Twitter user @uLerato_pillay is in actual fact a disgraced South African Soldier, Sifiso J. Gwala. In this episode, the first of three with Jean, the techniques Jean used to ‘unmask’ Sifiso Gwala are discussed, as is the nature of the #PutSouthAfricanFirst campaign.
8 May 2020
The genesis of narrative manipulation on social media
In this episode, we track the recent history of narrative manipulation and its potential for sowing division on issues, national social cohesion and elections. It looks at how you become a target based on your online profile.
Contact Centre for Analytics and Behavioural Change
Guest appearances
Books guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
Host of Centre for Analytics and Behavioural Change?
Claim your podcast to manage its listing and keep your show details accurate.
Pod Engine is an independent podcast discovery and analytics service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by this podcast. Artwork and show content belong to their owners. Full legal notice.
Explore this show Podcast research with Pod Engine
