Conspiracy theories can range from the absurd to the believable. Currently, there are plenty of conspiracy theories about COVID-19 – where it originated, if it’s related to 5G, and more. We’ll discuss why some conspiracy theories stick, what makes people believe certain ideas, and how they can polarize society.
Guests
- Stephanie Kelley-Romano, associate professor and chair of the Rhetoric, Film, and Screen Studies department at Bates College. She teaches a class on Conspiracy Rhetoric.
- Ryan Neville-Shepard, assistant professor of communication at the University of Arkansas, where he teaches and researches in the areas of political communication, rhetoric, and argumentation.
- Timothy Kaplowitz is a soon-to-be graduate of Bates College. He majored in rhetoric, and wrote his thesis earlier this year on the use of Apocalyptic Rhetoric in the QAnon conspiracy theory.
Resources
- As COVID-19 Has Spread, So Have Conspiracy Theories
- Please, Please, Please Don't Mock Conspiracy Theories
- Seen 'Plandemic'? We Take A Close Look At The Viral Conspiracy Video's Claims
- Inside the Pro-Trump Facebook Group Where First Responders Call Coronavirus a Hoax
- Republicans and Democrats live in “nearly inverse news media environments,” Pew finds
- Critically Thinking About the Mandela Effect
- What Is Confirmation Bias?
- What Is QAnon? The Conspiracy Theory Tiptoeing Into Trump World
- Why Trump Is Peddling Extra-Strength Conspiracy Theories