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Anti-Rumor Campaigns and Conspiracy-Baiting as Propaganda

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posted on 2023-05-24, 06:36 authored by David CoadyDavid Coady
Scholarly treatments of conspiracy theories and of rumours tend to follow a similar pattern. In both cases they usually begin by presupposing that the phenomena in question (conspiracy theories or rumours) should not be believed. They then seek to explain the puzzling fact that many people (though not of course the author or reader) are nonetheless inclined to believe them. I will argue that this is all wrong. Neither rumours nor conspiracy theories deserve their bad reputation. I will also argue that rumours and conspiracy theories have a bad reputation because of a certain kind of propaganda. Not all propaganda is objectionable, but this propaganda is objectionable, because it is anti-democratic propaganda.

History

Publication title

Taking Conspiracy Theories Seriously

Editors

MRX Dentith

Pagination

171-187

ISBN

9781786608284

Department/School

School of Humanities

Publisher

Rowman & Littlefield International Ltd

Place of publication

London

Extent

15

Rights statement

Copyright 2018 The Author

Repository Status

  • Restricted

Socio-economic Objectives

Social ethics; Expanding knowledge in philosophy and religious studies

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