Jon Ronson’s Them was published just months before the world changed on September 11 2001. Its portrait of conspiracy theorists and extremists was eerily prescient.
Articles on Alex Jones
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In his new book, John Safran considers how broader cultural, economic and political forces and attitudes have contributed to a resurgence in antisemitism – through the lens of Kanye West.
These people share conspiracy theories to promote conflict, cause chaos, recruit and radicalize potential followers, make money, harass, or even just to get attention.
‘Congress shall make no law … abridging the freedom of speech.’ It’s often misunderstood, by many Americans. A constitutional scholar explains what it really boils down to.
The key to understanding online conspiracy theorists is to understand how the line between fantasy and reality can become blurred.
The historic conviction of Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes and one other co-defendant for seditious conspiracy has implications for free speech and the future of the militia movement in the US.
Shame and guilt seem equally foreign to many politicians and public figures these days. Rather than cover their bad behavior with a veneer of hypocrisy, they revel in it, a classics scholar says.
Online extremists may lose followers when removed from mainstream social media, but their remaining supporters can become even more toxic.
Google search algorithms often pull up misleading descriptors for controversial people, and results can differ across languages. Understanding how these algorithms function can address misinformation.
Conspiracy theories surrounding the Sandy Hook school shooting continue to reverberate in the US, but now there are legal consequences.
Alex Jones lost a defamation suit by Sandy Hook parents for falsely claiming they helped fake the murders of their children. But the judgment doesn’t deal with important First Amendment questions.
Some people are habitual conspiracy thinkers – there’s a plan behind everything, and it’s usually malevolent. One scientist set out to understand who is likely to ascribe to these theories.
While they may talk about ‘free speech,’ businesses make decisions about their content based on a very different set of principles.
Confrontational characters spouting conspiracy theories and fringe ideas have been around since American broadcasting began. With Alex Jones banished from the web, someone else will take his place.
Family members of Sandy Hook victims sued media personality Alex Jones over his claims that the killings were a hoax they participated in. Current law makes their lawsuit unnecessarily hard to prove.
Documentaries are vital vehicles for explaining the world.
Top contributors
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Senior Lecturer, Discipline of English and Writing, University of Sydney
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Professor of Law, Elon University
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Senior Lecturer in Film Studies, University of St Andrews
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Professor of Psychology, Union College
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Assistant Professor of Journalism, University of Connecticut
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Professor Emeritus of Communication and Rhetorical Studies, Syracuse University
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Postdoctoral Fellow, Philosophy, University of Toronto
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Director of Research, Academic Development and Innovation at the Center on Terrorism, Extremism and Counterterrorism, Middlebury College
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Rachel Hadas is a Friend of The Conversation.
Professor of English, Rutgers University - Newark
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Associate Professor, News, Social Media, and Public Communication, Simon Fraser University
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Professor, UCL
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Professor of Communication and Journalism, University of Maine
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Associate Research Professor of Social Psychology, Louisiana State University
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Professor of Media Studies, Queensland University of Technology