Houston Police Attempt to Link ‘Drug Spiking’ to Fatal Astroworld Concert
Networks uncritically took the local police chief’s claim as “confirmation.”
Analysis
Anatomy of an Inauthentically Organized Campaign
Disinformation campaigns depend on real-world events to offer an illusion of popularity for unpopular ideas, but they’re easy to spot when you know what to look for.
Anti-Vaccine Disinformation Campaign Echoes ‘Doctor’s Plot’ Rhetoric
Cynical lies are undermining efforts to reach a population that has already been primed to refuse the COVID-19 vaccine.
The ‘Critical Race Theory’ Coordinated Disinformation Campaign
Vague insinuations and apocalyptic handwringing are sure signs of an inauthentically organized media strategy.
Foreign Influence Agents Goaded Trump Forums After U.S. Elections, Researchers Say
Graphika’s report finds that suspected Russian agents pushed ‘Stop the Steal,’ other anti-democratic narratives.
International Disinfo Machines Turning After State-Sponsored Kidnapping of Belarusian Journalist
Botnets, professional trolls, and enablers are following what should be by now a very familiar pattern.
Cinnamon Toast Crunch ‘Shrimp Tails’ Twitter Controversy
A Twitter account claimed he found “shrimp tails” in a box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal in an increasingly strange series of tweets.
How to Fight Disinformation: Part II — Gaslighting
The brazen and blatant lies of gaslighting campaigns are difficult to fight with fact-checking alone, but they can be defeated through a multidisciplinary approach.
Citing Conspiracy Theories, Pennsylvania Republicans Refuse to Seat Democratic Party Senator
Imaginary claims of “voter fraud” and “invalid elections” are being used to sow doubt and chaos around the state-certified win of Democratic Party candidates.
How to Fight Disinformation — Part I: Firehosing
A practical guide to battling common disinformation and other hybrid warfare tactics.
