Controlling the narrative to hold onto power
Fake news is nothing new. It was used as early as the 13th century BC by Pharaoh Ramses the Great, by Octavian in the first century to spread misinformation about Marc Antony, and more times afterwards than there is space here to list.
Fake news has one purpose — to hold onto power, and if you want to know who’s the perpetrator, well, just follow the money. Look for the person who has something to gain by spreading false information.
There’s been quite a bit of fake news over the past few years, relating to racial issues and the pandemic. But there is another, perhaps more dangerous, misinformation program building momentum — the erroneous case of fraud relating to absentee voting and voting by mail.
In their latest podcast, Bill Wood and Peter Goldsmith discuss how alternative facts and irrational conspiracy theories are used to mislead the public and alter the discourse on meaningful issues.
