Conspiracy theories
Sandy Hook ushered in new era of conspiracy and lies, author finds
Denying that the Sandy Hook mass shooting had occurred became "a highly symbolic thing," Elizabeth Williamson says, author of the book Sandy Hook: An American Tragedy and the Battle for Truth. "People did this for reasons of ideology. They did it for, in Alex Jones' case, profit. They did it for psychological reasons. There was a tribalistic bonding that happened around this."
How Bellingcat's Online Sleuths Solve Global Crimes Using Open Source Info
Eliot Higgins is the founder of an online collective that picks apart conspiracy theories and investigates war crimes and hate crimes using clues from the Internet. His new book is We Are Bellingcat.
Without Their 'Messiah,' QAnon Believers Confront A Post-Trump World
Now that former President Donald Trump has left office, the community of believers in the baseless QAnon conspiracy theory are left wondering what will happen next. Washington Post national technology reporter Craig Timberg has written about QAnon and related subjects in recent months.
Journalist Enters The World Of QAnon: 'It's Almost Like A Bad Spy Novel'
Atlantic editor Adrienne LaFrance discusses QAnon, the conspiracy theory that claims President Trump is battling a deep state child sex trafficking ring, run by high-profile democrats and celebrities.
Journalist Details 'Brazen Ways' Trump Will Use His Power To Get Reelected
"What you have is a presidential campaign that is pushing lies and distortions and conspiracy theories into the bloodstream at an unprecedented rate," says Atlantic writer McKay Coppins.
How A Political Hit Job Backfired, And Led To Trump's Impeachment Peril
Bloomberg Businessweek columnist Joshua Green says Trump fell for a media campaign on Ukraine designed to help him: "The irony is that the target was supposed to be the Bidens, not the president."
'Conspiracyland' Debunks Theories About Murder Of DNC Staffer Seth Rich
Journalist Michael Isikoff hosts a new podcast exploring the motivation and methods of those who promoted wild conspiracy theories about Rich, who was killed in a suspected failed robbery in 2016.
How 2 Conspiracy Theorists Shaped Trump's Worldview (And Why They Matter To Mueller)
"If there was contact between the Trump campaign, or even Trump himself, and WikiLeaks, it went through [Jerome] Corsi and [Roger] Stone," says New Yorker writer Jeffrey Toobin.
Inside The Russian Disinformation Playbook: Exploit Tension, Sow Chaos
A new video series by New York Times reporter Adam Ellick explores Russia's role in spreading fake news, dating back to the '80s conspiracy theory that the AIDS virus was created by the U.S. military.
Comic Jordan Klepper Assumes An Anti-Fact Persona On 'The Opposition'
Former Daily Show correspondent Jordan Klepper remembers a time, not so long ago, when he was barely aware of far-right media outlets like Alex Jones' Infowars and Breitbart News. That changed during the 2016 presidential race.