Dr. Naomi Wolf's Outspoken "Mark Crispin Miller: Can We Handle the Truth?"
Jan 25, 2026
Mark Crispin Miller, NYU media-studies professor and long-time analyst of advertising, propaganda, and elections, and Amy Smiley, filmmaker who made Reading the World about Miller, discuss the film, its trailer, and fundraising. They talk about Miller’s shift from ad analysis to election integrity, censorship and career fallout after tackling COVID and electoral controversies, and the film’s goals and risks.
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Method Behind Miller’s Critiques
- Mark Crispin Miller shifted from literary close reading to media and propaganda analysis starting in the late 1970s and intensified after his 2005 book Fooled Again.
- That methodological continuity explains why his later critiques of elections, COVID narratives, and masking used the same tools that earlier earned him wide respect.
Targeted Harassment After Election Books
- After publishing Loser Take All, someone broke into Mark Crispin Miller's apartment and stole his laptop and passport.
- He later received a virus that destroyed his rebuilt hard drive and endured years of death threats and harassment.
Practice Close Reading Of Media
- Learn and apply close-reading skills to media texts to detect propaganda patterns.
- Mark Crispin Miller urges readers to 'read the world' and question prevailing narratives actively.
