Jason Steinhauer, author of History, Disrupted, on campus March 28

March 1, 2023

By Troy Reeves, UW Archives Oral Historian

In this rapidly changing world, it takes work to keep up with the daily onslaught of information and demands on our attention and time. But when it comes to the past, it’s history. You can’t change it, right? Yet Jason Steinhauer asserts that history not only can be changed but is, indeed, changing. He brings the conversation to campus on March 28 when he discusses his new book, History, Disrupted: How Social Media and the World Wide Web Have Changed the Past (Palgrave Macmillan, 2021). He will address the effect things like ChatGPT, social media, and artificial intelligence have on history. Do you know how viral tweets or silly posts can impact the past? Jason Steinhauer has plenty to say on the subject.

As a public historian and scholar, Steinhauer’s resume includes work at the Smithsonian and the Library of Congress and on campus at Villanova University. I first met him in 2011 at the Oral History Association Annual Meeting in Denver, Colorado. He was working for the Library of Congress’s Veterans History Project, his 2nd full-time job starting his public history career. In the last decade, Steinhauer has moved away from traditional brick & mortar institutions to consulting, serving as a visiting scholar, and using his experience to envision, implement, and present the idea of History Communication. 

Visit the Friends of the UW-Madison Library’s website for the full story and to register for the event!