209: The Right’s Fantasy Super-Villain (w/Renee Diresta)
Jun 6, 2024
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Renee Diresta, an expert in disinformation, discusses her book 'Invisible Rulers' and the challenges of combating misinformation. The podcast explores the blurred lines between commentary and journalism in the age of social media, the dangers of disinformation, the influence of narratives on controlling information, and the evolution of media technology impacting society.
Changes in media technology alter power dynamics in information dissemination.
Social media fosters information fragmentation affecting trust in sources and diverse perspectives online.
Propaganda shifts from top-down control to participatory engagement through social media platforms.
Deep dives
Evolution of Propaganda and Media Technology
Throughout history, shifts in media technology have influenced the dissemination of information and power dynamics. From the printing press to radio, television, and the internet, each advancement altered how messages were conveyed and who controlled communication. These changes led to shifts in power, influencing the content and structure of information shared with the public.
The Influence of Social Media on Information
Social media platforms have blurred the lines between fact and fiction, allowing for the rapid spread of misinformation. Communities on social media are fragmented, curating information based on user preferences and interactions. This fragmentation has diminished cross-community consensus, impacting how individuals perceive trustworthy sources and navigate differing perspectives online.
Edward Bernays and the Concept of Invisible Rulers
Edward Bernays, a propagandist in World War I and Sigmund Freud's nephew, shaped public opinion through persuasion techniques in wartime and consumer marketing campaigns. He viewed propaganda as a tool to influence consumer behavior as well as political ideologies, blurring the lines between selling products and promoting ideas. Bernays coined the term 'Invisible Rulers' to represent the propagandists and public relations experts who craft messaging to create organic demand and shape public opinion.
Rumor Mill vs. Propaganda Machine
The distinction between the rumor mill and propaganda lies in their transmission and evolution of information. The rumor mill operates through oral culture, allowing information to change as it passes from person to person, fostering unofficial narratives. In contrast, propaganda historically leveraged top-down authoritative control over media to disseminate controlled narratives. With social media, these concepts merge, as individuals now wield mass communication tools to spread their political viewpoints effectively.
Impact of Propaganda and Journalism in the Information Environment
The podcast discusses how propaganda has become participatory in the current information environment, blending with the traditional systems of journalism. It highlights how individuals sharing content are both boosting and creating propaganda themselves. The distinction between journalism and commentary is explored, emphasizing the professionalization of journalism and the blurred lines between commentary and fact-based reporting.
Influence of Technology and Business Incentives on Content Creation
The episode delves into the interplay between technology, influencers, and platform algorithms in shaping content creation and audience engagement. It explains how platforms adapt their algorithmic curation based on external incentives to compete and retain users. The discussion touches on the impact of AI on content generation and search results, leading to personalized content recommendations and potential misinformation challenges.
We talked to Renee Diresta, when she in the middle of a life-changing crisis. Elon Musk’s hand-picked "journalists" were testifying in front of Congress as part of the “Twitter Files.” Matt Taibbi and Michael Shellenberger sounded the alarm about a supposedly vast conspiracy between think tanks, big tech companies, and government intelligence agencies to censor the free speech of conservative Americans. They referred to that conspiracy as the “Censorship Industry Complex," identifying its leader as a shadowy former CIA intern named Renee Diresta.
The reality is that Diresta was involved in a 2020 academic project called the Election Integrity Partnership, which studied then gave reports on viral social media content steeped in misinformation. She joins us to discuss her new book, Invisible Rulers: The People Who Turn Lies Into Reality.
