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CSUSB professor discusses state of misinformation and disinformation in Sub-Saharan Africa
Fake/News/Africa (podcast)
July 7, 2023

Gregory Gondwe, assistant professor of communication studies at California State University, San Bernardino, was one of the guests on a podcast with Michael Walsh, a visiting researcher in the African Studies program at Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, on the current state of misinformation and disinformation in Sub-Saharan Africa.  Gondwe’s research focuses on emerging media trends, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa.

CSUSB report: PMI on local economy shows more positives
Inland News Today
July 7, 2023

The Inland Empire’s Purchasing Manager’s Index (PMI) is back in positive territory after an anemic start to the year. The Institute of Applied Research at Cal State San Bernardino found optimism about the state of the economy in the near-future has improved. Nearly two-thirds (64.0%) of those surveyed believe that the economy will basically stay the same over the coming quarter compared to the past few months.
“Things look positive, with production improving and the majority of our panelists making comments reflecting an improving regional business climate,” according to Barbara Sirotnik, director of the Institute of Applied Research.

‘A taste of victory’: galvanized by US Supreme Court, far right turns to ‘legal vigilantism’
The Guardian
July 10, 2023

Experts, including CSUSB’s Brian Levin, point to a new, lawsuit-threatening brand of rightwing activism in the wake of recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions. Levin, director of the Center for the Study of Hate & Extremism, said far-right groups see the supreme court’s affirmative action decision as the first step in ending discrimination against whites.

He called it a gateway for “all kinds of vile and racially bigoted statements” with engagement that crosses over to the mainstream. He compared the exchange of far-right extremist ideologies and mainstream conservatism to the wax mixtures whirling together in a lava lamp. For example, the “alt-right”, anti-immigration website VDARE published an Ann Coulter column about legacy admissions and university donor preferences being less impactful than race quotas.

“Now you have unbroken lines from extremist groups promoting Ann Coulter to extremist groups promoting more vile material. They can jump from one lily pond of hate to another toxic and more nauseating one,” he explained. Extremist and fringe groups view Black people as biologically and culturally inferior whereas mainstream conservative groups are opposed to affirmative action due to a narrow reading of the constitution. Despite these differences, “even strands of violent extremism will find their way into civic discourse,” he said.

These news clips and others may be viewed at “In the Headlines.”