Title

Don’t blame social media for conspiracy theories – they would still flourish without it

Summary

This opinion article argues that attributing the spread of conspiracy theories solely to the internet and social media is overly simplistic. While journalists, activists, and politicians blame social media for spreading such theories, the article contends that conspiracy theories have existed and proliferated long before the digital age. For instance, the widespread belief in conspiracy theories about President John F. Kennedy’s assassination in the 1960s illustrates that these beliefs have deep historical roots and are not solely a product of modern technology.

َAuthor

Uscinski, J. E. & Enders, A. M.

Year

2020

َThematic Area

Communication Studies

Topic

Misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation

Country

Global

Region

Global

Misinformation Combatting

Misinformation Diffusion

Place Published

APA 7th End Text Citation

Uscinski, J. E. & Enders, A. M. (2020, 18 June). Don’t blame social media for conspiracy theories – they would still flourish without it. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/dont-blame-social-media-for-conspiracy-theories-they-would-still-flourish-without-it-138635