Secret Police, Disinformation, and Environmental Catastrophe in the Eastern Bloc

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Speaker / Lecture Academic International Research Sustainability

Tue, Mar 17, 2026

4 PM – 5 PM EDT (GMT-4)

Private Location (sign in to display)

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A flyer for the event containing a text description of it and a photograph of three people in protective clothing. Flyer for Secret Police, Disinformation, and Environmental Catastrophe in the Eastern Bloc
In her talk, Dr. Lauren Cassidy will discuss the role of state secrecy and the transnational production of disinformation in the aftermath of the explosion at Chernobyl. Drawing on Stasi file excerpts and records of Stasi communication with the KGB, Cassidy will discuss the role of state language and the secret police in the exacerbation of ecological damage and human suffering.

Lauren Cassidy is a lecturer of German Studies at Binghamton University. Cassidy’s research
focuses on East German and Soviet texts and orality and literacy-guided approaches to examining misinformation. She is currently working on an article that examines the intersection of language, power and authority in the East German secret police files.

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