Alec Karakatsanis, an award-winning civil rights lawyer and author of 'Copaganda: How Police and the Media Manipulate Our News,' dives into the pervasive influence of pro-police narratives in media. He discusses the distinction between media's focus on minor crimes like shoplifting versus significant issues like wage theft. Alec reveals how fear-driven narratives contribute to mass incarceration and authoritarian policies. He also highlights propaganda tactics that distort the public's understanding of safety and justice, urging a critical engagement with media narratives.
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Core Functions of Copaganda
Copaganda narrows our perception of safety by focusing fear on marginalized groups while ignoring harms caused by powerful entities.
It pushes the false solution that more policing and prisons solve societal problems, ignoring root causes like poverty and inequality.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Disproportionate News Coverage Example
A single viral theft video in San Francisco resulted in 309 national news articles, while wage theft cases against the same store were largely ignored.
News selection heavily favors sensational crimes over systemic harms without media PR machinery.
insights INSIGHT
Misleading Reform Language
Terms like "major overhaul" in news framing exaggerate minor criminal justice reforms.
This conditions the public to accept insignificant changes as sufficient, limiting calls for substantive reform.
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The Untold Story of Fame, Influence, and Power on the Internet
Taylor Lorenz
In 'Extremely Online,' Taylor Lorenz provides a comprehensive and deeply reported chronicle of the internet's impact on modern society. The book explores how social platforms' power users have radically altered our expectations of content, connection, purchasing, and power. Lorenz documents the rise of influencers, from 'mommy bloggers' who first monetized their personal brands to teens who reinvented fame through selfie videos and young creators on TikTok who are leveraging new opportunities. The book highlights the disruptive changes in modern capitalism, creating new sectors of the economy and empowering previously marginalized groups, while also discussing the darker aspects of this digital revolution, such as exploitation and disinformation.
The new Jim Crow
Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness
Karen Chilton
Michelle Alexander
In this book, Michelle Alexander argues that the U.S. prison system has created a new racial caste system, where people of color are disproportionately incarcerated and disenfranchised. She examines the historical and contemporary factors contributing to this crisis and advocates for a more equitable justice system.
If you’ve ever wondered why news media obsesses over shoplifting but ignores wage theft, or why media outlets report a "shortage" of prison guards without questioning why we imprison so many people, you've probably encountered copaganda.
In this episode, award-winning civil rights lawyer and author Alec Karakatsanis joins me to discuss his phenomenal new book, Copaganda: How Police and the Media Manipulate Our News, and to break down all the ways that our news ecosystem is polluted with pro-police PR.
We talk about how copaganda shapes literally every form of media in the U.S. and warps our perceptions of safety and justice. Alec reveals how these fear-driven narratives are fueling the rise of authoritarian policies, mass incarceration, and deepening inequality.
Taylor Lorenz’s Power User 
