USC Annenberg welcomes Kelly Gates, associate professor of communication and director of the Science Studies Program at the University of California San Diego.

This talk examines the uses of video evidence and techniques of media forensics in the efforts to reassemble the violent attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. The mediatization of the event by participants, journalists, police and the Capitol building’s security system provided massive volumes of audiovisual source material to recreate the attack. But in the current context, even the most well-sourced media accounts must compete for attention and credibility under the same political and media conditions that led the rioters on their rampage into the building. The Jan. 6 attack on the US Capitol building is an insightful, if disturbing, case for understanding why and how journalistic and documentary practices are turning to video evidence and media forensics as a response to the epistemic chaos of the moment.

Learn about approaches to studying emerging visual technologies, meet other students and faculty in cognate research areas and become aware of Visual Studies and STS certificate programs.

RSVP to vsri@usc.edu.