SPEAKING
Teaching, training and talks led by Dr. Emma L Briant.
Invited Speaking
- Data-driven Influence Operations, Propaganda and AI: How do surveillance-driven campaigns shape our information environment and influence our emotions, beliefs and behaviors? In a dystopian world of deception, how can democracies fight back without compromising their values? What tactics are Russia and other adversaries using against Western governments, and how should democracies respond?
- Social Media, Influence Industry and Big Tech: Why are algorithms prompting concerns about manipulation? How is ‘disinformation for hire’ undermining democracy and what do we do about it? Have we learned any lessons from the Cambridge Analytica scandal and what remains to be done? Why might fear be more important than falsehood in driving contemporary propaganda?
- Democracy, Security and Human Rights: How do foreign adversaries seek to undermine elections with propaganda campaigns? How do fascists use propaganda and what can we do to recognize and resist it? How does increasing surveillance put us at risk and why does data privacy matter? How can we protect freedom of expression while making the internet safer?
- Radicalization and Migration: How are ‘in groups’ and ‘out groups’ manipulated to dehumanize marginalized communities and advance extremist political agendas? How did falsehoods in media reporting, political discourse and online propaganda contribute to the Brexit result? How do we understand the role of conspiracy theories in political radicalization?
Invited Testimony at European Parliament by the Special Committee on the European Democracy Shield Public hearing on Political Advertising in the EU
Cambridge Disinformation Summit
One of the most notable trends in recent years is the increasing role that for-profit companies are playing in conducting disinformation campaigns.
‘SCL and Cambridge Analytica: Studying the propaganda machine’
The use of data and microtargeting in political advertising were famously critiqued in the 2016 US elections.
‘This House Believes The Media’s Reporting Is Detrimental to Humanitarian Crises Around The World’.
Talks & Conferences
SELECTED CONFERENCES & INVITED TALKS
2023
Invited Speaker University of Cambridge, Kings College, Cambridge, UK – Cambridge Disinformation Summit – June 2023.
Invited Speaker to Introduce the London Premier of The YouTube Effect, documentary film by the producer and director: Gale Anne Hurd and Alex Winter.
Invited Speaker Kyiv School of Economics, Kyiv, Ukraine – January 2023.
2022
Keynote: Central European University, Vienna, Austria – Technology, Transparency, and New Closures in Open Society Conference ‘Rediscovering the Dark Artists Creating our Digital Age,’ December 2022
Invited Testimony European Parliament, Brussels, Belgium – Invited to speak at European Parliament, Brussels on ‘Transparency and Targeting of Political Advertising,’ November 2022.
Invited Speaker University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA ‘Mercenaries of Deceit’, September 2022.
Keynote: University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada ‘Propaganda: Mercenaries of Deceit’, May 2022
Carnegie New Leaders Extensively interviewed for podcast on ‘Decoding the Ethics of Propaganda’, April 2022.
Institute of Government and Public Policy, London, UK ‘ Tackling Online Misinformation & Disinformation ‘ conference, talk on ‘Uncovering The Cambridge Analytica Scandal: Disinformation As A Threat To Democratic Processes’ January 2022.
2021
Invited Speaker US Government Accountability Office – I designed and ran a workshop on ‘Tackling Disinformation and Extremism in DOD and the Military: Key Issues & Proposals’ administered by Syracuse University
Invited Speaker American Bar Association International Law Section – panel on “Section 230 Beyond Borders: Comparative Intermediary Liability in the U.S., E.U., and Brazil – Part II”, USA
Invited Speaker American Bar Association Standing Committee on Law and National Security & Georgetown School of Foreign Service ‘Disinformation & Next Generation Social Media’
Canadian Association for Security and Intelligence Studies, Vancouver, BC ‘West Coast Security Conference’, Canada, November 2021.
2020
Invited Speaker CASIS: Canadian Association for Security and Intelligence Studies, Vancouver, BC ‘West Coast Security Conference’ – ‘Lessons from the Cambridge Analytica crisis: confronting today’s (dis)information challenges’
Invited Speaker Newhouse School of Public Communications, Syracuse University, (invited by Prof Jen Grygiel)
Invited Speaker Department of Communication, American University, Washington DC (invited by Prof Aram Sinnreich)
Invited Speaker University of Southern California, Department of Communication, The Dark Side of Public Diplomacy.
Invited Speaker Charles Sturt University, Australia ‘Data and Disinformation (and what we do about it)’.
Invited Speaker Goldsmiths, University of London ‘Trump: Data and Disinformation’ (invited by Prof Des Freedman)
Invited Speaker National Press Club, DC, USA ‘Dark PR: Disinformation for Hire’
Keynote 24th DiscourseNet conference, Université Saint-Louis, Bruxelles, Belgium: ‘Fear and Loathing in Cyberspace: Taking on the Digital Influence Industry’
Invited Speaker Internet Society DC, American University, School of Communication, DC, US – Moderated Debate on “Is Cambridge Analytica snake oil? Why or Why not?”
2019
Invited Speaker University of Sussex, Sussex Salon, UK: ‘Can elections be made fairer by regulating fake news?’
Invited Speaker Department of Communication, American University, Washington DC (invited by Prof Aram Sinnreich)
Invited Speaker National Voting Rights Task Force, Annual Conference, Berkeley, CA.
Invited Speaker Center for Innovation, Growth and Society, Institute for New Economic Thinking, San Francisco, CA: Freedom of Speech/Freedom from Speech conference.
Invited Speaker Data Privacy Symposium, American University Internet Governance Lab in partnership with the Internet Society Washington, DC Chapter
Invited Speaker Department of Sociology, New York University, New York, NY, USA: ‘Propaganda in a Digital Age’ (invited by Prof. Steven Lukes).
Invited Speaker Human Rights Program, Bard College, Annenberg on Hudson, New York, USA ‘Propaganda Machine: The Hidden Story of Cambridge Analytica and the Digital Influence Industry’
Invited Speaker Department of Communication, University of Illinois, Chicago, USA: ‘Propaganda Machine: The Hidden Story of Cambridge Analytica and the Digital Influence Industry’ (invited by Prof Andrew Rojecki)
Invited Speaker Internet Governance Lab Roundtable Speaker Series, American University, Washington, DC, USA:‘Propaganda Machine: The Hidden Story of Cambridge Analytica and the Digital Influence Industry’
Invited Speaker Cyber Innovation and Society Institute & Department of Media Studies – Distinguished Speaker Series, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA: ‘Propaganda Machine: The Hidden Story of Cambridge Analytica and the Digital Influence Industry’
Invited Speaker Columbia Journalism School Graduate Seminar Lecture Series, New York, NY, ‘Propaganda in a Digital Age’ (invited by Prof. Anya Shiffrin).
Invited Speaker European Parliament, Brussels, Belgium: Strengthening Democracy Panel (invited by Molly Scott Cato MEP)
Invited Speaker School of Media and Public Affairs, George Washington University, USA:‘Propaganda Machine: The Hidden Story of Cambridge Analytica and the Digital Influence Industry’
Teaching and Training
Dr Briant is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy of the United Kingdom, qualifying her to teach in universities and colleges.
Dr Briant has been teaching for over 15 years during which time she has accumulated extensive experience of curriculum and course design, teaching and assessing students across a range of subject areas and levels of higher education in the areas of Media and Political Communication, Sociology, Politics, Research Methods and even English as a Foreign Language.
She has extensive management and administrative experience, having won awards for line managing junior teaching and research staff. She has experience designing curriculum and courses and developing innovative teaching including role plays for the students (as featured in the image below).
Dr Briant often arranges speakers, public interviews and discussions with fascinating experts some of which can be viewed on her YouTube channel including:
Her teaching across her faculty positions has included Principles of Journalism, News and Power, Contemporary History, Public Affairs, Understanding Media, Research Methods, Propaganda: Dark Arts in a Digital Age, Propaganda, Media and Conflict in a Changing World – the above photo was taken during a role play she designed for that course and is used with the students permission.
Peer Review of Teaching by Associate Dean (Learning and Teaching) Beatrice Trefalt, Monash University, October 2024
“You created an excellent opportunity for students to consider the research process not just for themselves but for each other as part of a community of practice and a network of colleagues. […] What’s important is that you engage your students in your learning effectively and in a supported way. In addition, you anchored the students’ knowledge really well in this session – they knew what they were doing and why, and how it related more broadly to their specific unit and then their major. In addition to your command of the material and your enthusiasm for your subject, you are responsive to your students’ needs and attentive to their levels of energy, which is key to making the class run smoothly.”
Knowledge Exchange and Engagement
Throughout her career, Dr. Briant’s expertise has shaped key policy debates, informed civil society organizations and international inquiries including the UN, US Congress, UK Parliament, Canadian Parliament and European Parliament.
Her research has informed politicians, governments, media organizations, NGO’s and Big Tech companies on threats posed by the opaque digital influence industry, disinformation and contemporary influence operations. Dr. Briant’s testimony and evidence, drawing on longstanding research, was central in exposing the Cambridge Analytica scandal concerning Facebook data misuse by the now-notorious Trump and Brexit campaign firm. Dr. Briant prioritizes public impact and often collaborates with filmmakers and media organizations. Her research on refugees, inequality, politics, technology and conflict propaganda have all received substantial media reporting. She was senior researcher on Oscar-shortlisted documentary film, The Great Hack.
Research Interviews at the Pentagon
Dr Briant is invested in the knowledge exchange between academia, industry and policy stakeholders. She has developed and delivered highly successful executive education courses and workshops to that end, encompassing: counter-extremism, ethics and information operations, disinformation and US national security.
For example: Workshop with Syracuse University for the Government Accountability Office (2021) ‘Tackling Disinformation and Extremism in DOD and the Military: Key Issues & Proposals,’ as the US Government has sought to respond to the events of January 6. Foreign Service Institute, US Department of State (2021) ‘Systemic Problems in the Digital Age’ a Propaganda and Disinformation course in the Global Issues Program.
Speaking at Schools