'The country is in a state of trauma': COVID-19 has made the U.S. a breeding ground for propaganda
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- The novel coronavirus outbreak has upended everyday life in the US and turned the country into a breeding ground for fake news and disinformation as citizens increasingly distrust their leaders and each other.
- Paul Barrett, a professor at NYU who published a report on disinformation and the 2020 election, told Insider he's seen an explosion in domestically sourced propaganda amid the outbreak.
- Heightened tensions and partisanship in the US make it a "natural target" for foreign interference as well, John McLaughlin, the former acting director of the CIA, told Insider.
- Anti-lockdown protests organized by wealthy conservative interests are popping up across the US. The data analysis firm Graphika also documented a surge in xenophobic disinformation and conspiracies from right-wing groups.
- Russian trolls are adapting their 2016 strategy to be less conspicuous, and China is taking a page out of Russia's playbook as both countries wage intense, coordinated disinformation campaigns against the US.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
"TAKE ACTION IN LANSING," read the description of a widely publicized anti-lockdown protest at the Michigan state capital last week. "People always say: 'Conservatives never protest because they are too busy working.' Well, guess what. You're not working-- so it's time to PROTEST."
An explosion in domestically sourced dis- and misinformation
Conservative groups share more disinformation than liberal groups
'This could get dangerous'
Russian trolls adapt their strategy to be less conspicuous
China follows Russia's lead
'They have taken one of our greatest attributes and turned it against us'
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- The novel coronavirus outbreak has upended everyday life in the US and turned the country into a breeding ground for fake news and disinformation as citizens increasingly distrust their leaders and each other.
- Paul Barrett, a professor at NYU who published a report on disinformation and the 2020 election, told Insider he's seen an explosion in domestically sourced propaganda amid the outbreak.
- Heightened tensions and partisanship in the US make it a "natural target" for foreign interference as well, John McLaughlin, the former acting director of the CIA, told Insider.
- Anti-lockdown protests organized by wealthy conservative interests are popping up across the US. The data analysis firm Graphika also documented a surge in xenophobic disinformation and conspiracies from right-wing groups.
- Russian trolls are adapting their 2016 strategy to be less conspicuous, and China is taking a page out of Russia's playbook as both countries wage intense, coordinated disinformation campaigns against the US.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
"TAKE ACTION IN LANSING," read the description of a widely publicized anti-lockdown protest at the Michigan state capital last week. "People always say: 'Conservatives never protest because they are too busy working.' Well, guess what. You're not working-- so it's time to PROTEST."