How trafficking in conspiracy theories went from the fringes of U.S. politics into the White House. FRONTLINE examines the alliance of conspiracy entrepreneur Alex Jones, Trump advisor Roger Stone, and the president, and their role in the battle over truth and lies. CONT. Frontline, PBS Read more »
The Great American Crackup is underway
In 2018, Bob Woodward recounted then-White House chief of staff John Kelly’s view of President Trump. “He’s gone off the rails,” Kelly said. “We’re in Crazytown.” Two years later, it feels as if the entire country resides in the Greater Crazytown Metropolitan Area. … A week ago, I argued that […] Read more »
Many Americans See Exaggeration, Conspiracy Theories and Partisanship in COVID-19 News
As Americans continue to process a steady flow of information about the coronavirus outbreak – from changing infection and death rates to new testing protocols and evolving social distancing guidelines – they give the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other public health organizations the highest rating when it […] Read more »
Fake Polls, Real Consequences: The Rise of Fake Polls and the Case for Criminal Liability
… Though most pollsters adhere to sound methodological practices, the dependence of political journalism – and campaigns, independent political organizations, and so on – on polls opens a door for the unsavory. Fake polls have started to proliferate online. Their goal is to influence online political betting markets, so that […] Read more »
Trump’s risky new re-election strategy: Waging war with Obama
A war of words between President Donald Trump and his immediate predecessor is escalating after Barack Obama tore into U.S. leadership with veiled jabs at the administration. Trump’s decision to lean in to the battle has elevated Obama’s presence in the national conversation as his former vice president, Joe Biden, […] Read more »
Coronavirus, ‘Plandemic’ and the seven traits of conspiratorial thinking
No matter the details of the plot, conspiracy theories follow common patterns of thought. Ranta Images/iStock/Getty Images Plus John Cook, George Mason University; Sander van der Linden, University of Cambridge; Stephan Lewandowsky, University of Bristol, and Ullrich Ecker, University of Western Australia The conspiracy theory video “Plandemic” recently went viral. […] Read more »