On the Road With the Conspiracist Right feat Mike Wendling (Premium E244) Sample
May 15, 2024
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Mike Wendling, National BBC reporter, talks about covering conspiracy theories and adventures in the field. They discuss the legacy of 2000 Mules and his experiences attempting to use a medbed. Exploring fringe politics, technology, QAnon, and challenges in countering fringe beliefs are key topics.
Mike Wendling's coverage of fringe political movements and technology began around 10 years ago, focusing on social media and later expanding to explore extremist ideologies.
Discussion highlights the mainstreaming of once obscure conspiracy theories like QAnon, impacting political debates and media coverage.
Deep dives
Mike Wendling's Experience and Interest in Fringe Politics and Technology
Mike Wendling, a national digital reporter for the BBC, shares his journey into covering fringe political movements and technology. His interest sparked about 10 years ago while producing radio documentaries on social media. Wendling's coverage expanded to encompass the rise of the alt-right movement in 2015 and 2016, leading to his in-depth exploration of extremist ideologies.
Evolution of Conspiracy Theories into Mainstream Political Discourse
The conversation delves into the evolution of fringe topics, such as conspiracy theories, gaining traction in mainstream political power. The hosts reflect on the transition of once obscure conspiracy theories gaining significant attention and influence over time. The impact of narratives like QAnon becoming central to political debates and media coverage is highlighted.
Navigating Interaction with Conspiracists and Extremists
The discussion touches on navigating interactions with conspiracists and extremists, emphasizing varying responses to media engagement based on affiliations. The complexity of journalist engagement with fringe groups, including concerns of inadvertently amplifying extremist messages, is acknowledged. Insight is provided into the dynamics of interviewing individuals within these circles, showcasing the challenges and nuances of such interactions.
1.
Exploring the Intersection of Fringe Politics and Technology with a Seasoned Reporter
Mike Wendling is the National Digital Reporter for the BBC. He is the co-founder of the BBC's disinformation unit and was editor and presenter of BBC Trending. While topics related to disinformation and extremism became popular starting in 2016, he’s been covering this subject matter for decades. He is the author of the book Alt Right: From 4chan To White House as well as the brand new book Day of Reckoning: How the Far Right Declared War on Democracy.
Jake and Travis chat with Mike about covering conspiracy theories, adventures in the field, the legacy of 2000 Mules, and Mike’s experiences attempting to use a medbed.
Day of Reckoning: How the Far Right Declared War on Democracy by Mike Wendling
https://www.plutobooks.com/9780745349718/day-of-reckoning/
Mike Wendling on Twitter
https://twitter.com/mwendling
Editing by Corey Klotz. Theme by Nick Sena. Additional music by Pontus Berghe. Theme Vocals by THEY/LIVE (https://instagram.com/theyylivve / https://sptfy.com/QrDm). Cover Art by Pedro Correa: (https://pedrocorrea.com)
https://qaapodcast.com
QAA was known as the QAnon Anonymous podcast.
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